Education Commons^™

What's Really New About Barbie's® New Friend?, James Artesani

Special Education Faculty Scholarship

Barbie^® has a new friend. So what, you ask? Why has this new doll caught the attention of the national news media? Because Barbie's friend has a disability. She uses a wheelchair. She is purported to be a symbol of diversity.

We all know that Barbie^® and the people who work for her at Mattel have taken their share of heat over the years, primarily because of the image Barbie^® portrays as well as those she does not. I think it is safe to say that most people do not associate Barbie with diversity. The purpose of …