Mattel had the chance to tell kids you can have a facial difference and be a role model, but instead they erased a big part of Helen Keller’s life. I wish toy companies created affirming dolls for disabled kids.
Transcript
Haben speaking, hello! A new Barbie doll came out with Helen Keller and this Helen Keller has perfectly symmetrical eyes. The real Helen Keller when she was a kid and in her twenties did not have symmetrical eyes. One of her eyes drooped, and back then she and the people around her would have her be in profile in photos to try to hide one of her eyes.
So this new doll shows her with perfectly symmetrical eyes, essentially erasing her real lived experiences, which is a harmful message for blind kids today, and even blind adults. I have asymmetrical eyes. My eyes dance and kids teased me when I was younger. Today, adults often tell me to hide my eyes under dark glasses. It’s frustrating and disappointing that this new Barbie doll erases that part of Helen Keller’s experiences.
Another thing I want to point out is that the doll comes with a book that says, “Braille.” So the book says braille, which doesn’t make any sense. It feels like a token. It would be like a print book that says, “Print.” It doesn’t make any sense. It’s very tokenized. It sounds like it’s a doll for sighted girls. What sighted people would imagine for blind people rather than a doll for actual blind kids. I’m really disappointed with this, and I wish blind kids had access to more toys and dolls that actually represent our real experiences.