Helen Keller is the newest addition to Barbie's Inspiring Women doll collection. The doll is part of Mattel's collection which honours extraordinary women who have taken chances, broken out of conventions, and inspired generations of girls to dream big.
Barbie chose Keller because she was the first deaf-blind person to receive a bachelor's degree, to inspire many students who are graduating right now. She went on to become a well-known author, speaker, educator, and advocate after earning her degree.
“We are excited to welcome disability rights advocate, author and educator Helen Keller to our expanding Inspiring Women collection as Barbie continues to highlight strong female role models,” Lisa McKnight, Mattel's senior vice president and global head of Barbie and dolls, shared in a statement released by the company. “Representation comes in all forms and we recognise that the blind and low vision community is often overlooked, with their stories going untold. We hope that by introducing children to Helen Keller's story of perseverance and determination, they will be inspired to dream bigger than ever before.”
The Helen Keller doll is dressed in a striped skirt and a ruffled lace blouse, which were influenced by Keller's time as a student in the early 1900s. A book with moulded braille on the cover is also kept by the doll.
Keller is photographed holding a flower up to her nose in a stunning vintage photograph that is included on the packaging.
Barbie has partnered with the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), a transformative membership and advocacy group for blind Americans, to ensure that the doll and its surroundings are genuine and kept to the highest expectations for the blind/low-vision community. NFB ensured the Keller doll was an accurate portrayal of her likeness and making aspects available to the blind/low vision audience, such as braille on the box and the book the doll is carrying, through this collaboration.
Other dolls in the Inspiring Women collection included former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, poet, author, and activist Dr Maya Angelou, and a slew of others.