Vision-impaired people are getting more recognised in the fashion industry and we love it.
It’s been a long time coming but at least the work has already started. In South Africa, we have brands like Balini, that focus on creating braille fashion pieces to help vision impaired people find their style without depending too much on others.
Now famous doll brand Barbie has announced the launch of its first blind fashion doll to allow even more children to find a doll that represents them and inspire them to tell more stories through play-play.
The launch of the doll, supported by the South African Guide-Dogs Association for the Blind, enables the visually and physically impaired members of our society to live an independent life, through the acquisition of skills required to live a fully participatory life.
As Tanya Schönwald, Head of Strategic and Corporate Partnerships, GDA, said: “Inclusion and diversity are no longer concepts, it is actions and through the launch of the visually impaired Barbie, Mattel, Inc. has proven the impact of collaboration on social impact.
“Including a visually-impaired Barbie will undoubtedly ease the discomfort that so many visually impaired children face and will, in young minds, bring about the change in society that is so desperately needed.”
She added: "Soon enough, inclusion will not be considered or debated, it will naturally occur because younger generations have not been taught to distinguish. We are proud to have travelled part of this journey with Mattel, Inc."
Some of the key features of the doll include elbow articulations to ensure comfortable cane use. There is also the eye gaze facing slightly up and out to accurately reflect the sometimes-distinct eye gaze of a vision impaired individual.