The other day I saw an
article online about the first line of dolls with disabilities. They are made by British toy maker Makies.
The dolls can be customized and come with accessories such as hearing aids,
canes and facial birthmarks.
People are going to
have different reasons for liking these dolls. Some would say that kids with
disabilities are going to like playing with dolls that they can relate to and
see themselves reflected in. Other people say that the dolls will help kids
with disabilities feel "normal" or that it's good toy companies
are reflecting diversity.
While all these things
are true, I think that we need to go further. I wonder if the millions of kids
without disabilities would want to play with these dolls. Is this just going to
be a disability thing or is this going to do anything to educate people (kids
especially) about disability issues.
I think these dolls
are a good start and they can be a great advocacy tool. For toys to be truly
inclusive, they need to be available to all kids and be seen; not as segregated
and special, but rather as a fun toy.
No comments:
Post a Comment