In 2022, Mattel released a Barbie with hearing aids as a member of their Fashionista Line—a line aiming to ensure that ALL children see themselves reflected in the mainstream, as well as encourage children to play with dolls that do not resemble themselves to understand and celebrate the importance of inclusion. Jen Richardson, the audiologist who helped Mattel accurately develop the Barbie’s hearing aids, said that she is “thrilled for her young patients to see and play with a doll who looks like them.”
