A Barbie with Down’s syndrome is the latest doll to be released by Mattel in a bid to make its range more diverse.
The US toy giant had faced previous criticism that the traditional Barbie did not represent real women.
In recent years it has created dolls with a hearing aid, a prosthetic limb and a wheelchair.
Mattel’s goal was for “all children to see themselves in Barbie” as well as “play with dolls who do not look like themselves”.
The original Barbie doll launched in 1959 featured long legs, a tiny waist, and flowing blonde locks.
Academics from the University of South Australia suggested the likelihood of a woman having Barbie’s body shape was one in 100,000.
Some campaigners called for Barbie to represent a more realistic body image, while some people with disabilities said the dolls were not relatable.
In 2016 Mattel released Curvy Barbie, Tall Barbie and Petite Barbie, as well as a wide range of skin tones reflecting many different ethnicities.
Lisa McKnight, global head of Barbie & Dolls at Mattel said she hoped the new doll would help “teach understanding and build a greater sense of empathy, leading to a more accepting world.”
Mattel said it worked closely with the US National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) to ensure its latest doll accurately represented a person with Down’s syndrome. (BBC)
