The idea of having a QR code and having blind Barbie, describe what she’s wearing almost brought me to tears because that would be so meaningful and so cute and so sweet and so inclusive, and I’m not even blind and don’t know anyone in my personal life that is blind And just knowing how big of an impact that would be to a kid navigating this huge world and being included in an actual meaningful way was very moving
Full disclaimer, I'm not blind, but when you were talking about potential future blind Barbies it gave me the cutest idea I want to run by you guys. Back in the 90's-2000's I was gifted a mommy Barbie that would actually walk as you push her baby's stroller. Wouldn't it be so cute to give the same mechanic to a guide dog Barbie? When you like push her down, while standing up as you gently push her along, she could sort of kick her legs, and the dog could also kick his little legs and they can walk along together. Maybe there's a button on the dog that would bark when you press it. It could be SO CUTE.
Elton is trained to not bark, as was Gallup, Ben-Ben, and Gypsy. In general, they are trained to not bark. That said some medical alert service dogs alert with a bark, mine nudged me with his nose.
wasnt there a dog walking barbie with this exact concept? they even could pick up the poop and stuff lol it would be so cool if they did this with a service dog 🥹
Eyes: one of her ryes is very very subtly angled to the left and the other is fairly forward focused. Both are focused a tiny tiny bit up. They achieved the direction piece by making her iris the tiniest fraction smaller than other Barbies'. It is a very subtle effect, but its there.
I cried for 4 year old Molly's story about Christmas gifts. That is a really powerful reminder that low or no vision is a deeply interactional, relational issue that everyone should be aware of and gracious about.
I think it might be nice to take toys out of their packaging to wrap them, or if they're too delicate or something, wrap them in a plain cardboard box. That way the child can feel the toy at the same time as or before everyone else can see it.
@@conlon4332 I feel like those clothing giftboxes that are easy to open would be perfect for any gift that could fit in one. Maybe with 2 glittery (thick, & tactile difference) pieces of washi tape (easy to peel off) keeping the lid down.
I saw the video of the blind teenager who consulted on Blind Barbie. She picked out all of the clothes & cane. The doll was modeled after her. It's so cool that she & you share the same fashion taste & I immediately thought the doll looked so much like you. I was looking forward to seeing your video.
I just checked & her account is private so... I'm not comfortable leaving anymore of a teenager's info. She's not an influencer & has a normal amount of followers. She's an average teen who happens to have been chosen for such a cool experience. I think that makes 'Blind Barbie' even more awesome. It's weird that I can't find the doll's name as she's supposed to be an actual character on their YT channel. I guess it's cause the episode hasn't aired yet.
Im do glad this youtuber didn't take her subscribers words as gospel, it would have been damaging to the young girl if Molly claimed to be the face of the doll. She is a different breed of influencer for sure! Most influencers would totally act like the main character and take ownership, overshadowing the young teen.
Those were literally excellent ideas for the packaging! Not only for the blind but it would have been cool too for the sighted kids to see what blind people need and maybe even have sparked more conversations about inclusivity!
As an adult doll collector I have a lot of beef with some of the things Mattel does. That being said, current Barbie Fashionistas is a budget doll line with the standard 5-point articulation. This doll has articulated elbows which most Fashionistas do not have (the other exceptions being Barbie Fashionistas that come with wheelchairs). So I do appreciate that her arms have more movement than the average Fashionista which makes sense since she's cane user.
@Imbatmn57I only like the 22 point articulation barbies because I can pose them close to being actual little humans terrorizing our house and getting into all our things. Since being disabled it's my new hobbie that doesn't take to much focus and energie so I actually want more 22 p barbies
@gezondnaarhonderd I prefer more articulated dolls too, but I don't like the weird looking joints of the Made To Move line. So my favorite posable Barbies are from the Barbie Extra & I think Barbie Looks also has pose-ability without losing elegance.
@@nilawarriorprincess I agree with that the elbow and knee joints don't look great. The looks line has these aswell. I would not mind if they found a more elegant way to get the same range of motion!
@gezondnaarhonderd I must have been mixing up the joints of Rainbow High dolls with Made To Move. As an aspiring artist, I use my dolls as models for posing.
I noticed the unfocused, slightly upward turned gaze as soon as she came out of the box. It's subtle and respectful (IMO), but I think it probably helps her look blind even if you don't consciously notice it.
From the viewpoint of a sighted person with some physical disability, I love the fact that this exists. It’s wonderful for representation and as a teacher, think it could be used as an educational tool. Especially for young children who should be learning about how people are special & different. There should be a line of all different types of special add ons for Barbie like walkers, leg braces, hearing aids, technology devices (for those who use speech programs) and other things. The possibilities are endless but this is definitely a start.
Once upon a time long before I was born Mattel had a line of dolls called Hal's Pal's and there was one who has leg braces and arm canes, a wheelchair one, a hearing aid rhythmic gymnastics girl, a blind girl with a dog, and Hal an actual amputee ski instructor. Also the average friend dolls and eventually we ended up collecting almost everything. They originally came with a iron on for your own shirt but because of the age we didn't try it. We are still missing just a few pieces and ended up also with a rare prototype boy in a wheelchair different than the regular one. I named him James.
I looked up a picture and you can definitely see the difference in her eyes compared to other Barbies. They look like she isn't focused on anything and her left eye looks as if it is "looking" a little to the left rather than completely straight on
Reminds me of the 1998 Barbie book "Girls best friend" where Barbie and her sister train a guide dog puppy. Blind barbies are pictured with their guide dogs.
As a blind person who also is an accessible and universal designer (with a dash love especially for packaging design and making the graphic design I used to see and design accessible for all) I say yes to all those lovely ideas Molly! also would have loved them to also add letter shapes or symbols for those who can't see and can't read braille, or indeed and amazing description with the QR code. Or an embossed imprint of the barbie her face and hair, or full body on the back, or just the accessories (larger and with detail to feel)
I love everything you had to say about her, spot on! I am completely blind, no light perception or shadows or anything, my biggest disappointment with the doll was the description that Mattel provided. I could still see Barbie when I was little, and I was able to play with Barbies up until I was 10 or so and still see them and the hair and the feet and the shoes and everything. I was super excited when I saw the blind Barbie, but then I read the Matel description and my heart sort of fell into my stomach. I know she looks beautiful, I've had people describe her to me and I know she's a beautiful gorgeous doll, but the way they described her made me feel like they were mocking the way our eyes can sometimes look. I feel like instead of just saying "here is blind her eyes point upward and outward" they could have maybe said that she was modeled after a real human being who had a blindness that caused her eyes to look a certain way and that a certain percentage of the population had the same kind of disease or whatever. I just really hate it the upward and outward description of the eyes, as someone who can't see the doll at all it made me think her eyes were pointing straight up at the ceiling and outward towards the walls. I know now that they didn't do that and that they treated it very respectfully, I just wish they could've put that in the description for those of us who can't actually see the doll but I really love your positive attitude and the way you described everything to us and I completely agree with the contracted braille issue lol. Please keep up the good work! 🩷🩷🩷
Once again and as always, thank you so much for your insight. Some of the things you mentioned that happened to you as a child I would’ve never even thought of. The part about getting gifts and not being able to be surprised or excited about them because you couldn’t see them really made my momma heart hurt for young Molly.
oh wow you gave away such cool ideas for free. Even able bodied kids would LOVE to hear a vocal voice actress introducing herself as a barbie they've just got!
my favorite part has to be that she's part of the budget line. not a special or collectors edition. anyone can give gift a blind barbie to a loved one without having to give an arm and a leg for it.
Since Mattel is aware of you, I bet they're gonna see this twenty-five minutes of top tier marketing advice, and hopefully make it happen! Your ideas are so freakin' clever!
Lakeshore learning sells multi ethnic dolls with various adaptive equipment, including a white cane. There’s also a stuffed Guide dog with a removable harness. I have one of these dolls that was kindly gifted to me. It’s incredible! But it’s very expensive, especially compared to blind fashionista Barbie. I love mine so much! My kids really like her too.
Regarding the Qr code, they could also include a rfd sticker like what is used on the CVS Spken Rx. This way, the sticker can be added to the box without redisigning the packaging, preventing cost markups.
I have learnt something from watching this video. I never knew until now there were two different types of Braille. Love that blind barbie exists and the more they can make the better.
@@vickimainard9566 me too 😊 there are so many things we just take for granted and never even consider being a hindrance for someone else. I have PTSD and recently a friend of mine called me and said that for the first time she met someone with a psychiatric service dog (I’m Danish) and she looked kind of confused , so she thought about asking her if she needed any help, but remembered me preferring to avoid people, so she just went about her own business. She asked me if she had done the right thing or if she had been rude to not offering help. I was so happy 😁 Because not only does she finally acknowledge my disability but she also thought about how to act when meeting others. Yes! Leave people with psychiatric service dogs alone unless they take contact with you themselves or ask for your help. Contact with other people, especially strangers, are often what causes the problems we have, like feeling overwhelmed and anxious, even if people are just being friendly 😊
This barbie is so awesome and your feedback is so great. Nailed the dress up. I am autistic and i also hate opening gifts (and any surprises) in front of people. I get so much anxiety because it feels like a prank everyone is in on except me and they are all waiting for my reaction. Like you, I love surprises and gifts when I get to experience them alone and process them on my own time.
Molly looks JUST like Barbie!! Wow! The transition into blind barbie was awesome! I think a QR Code with Barbie explaining what she looks like is such a great idea!! I don't know anything about production but i feel like it wouldn't cost them too much either. I feel like that is very doable for the company.
Molly, OMG,your story of opening your Christmas gifts in a room alone is so touching. Bravo, what a cleaver your girl you were. I'm so glad your family let you find your own way to enjoy Christmas the say way we all have. What a great story, I hope its one you've shared many times. I can see how helpful it wo6be for not only a blind child (adults too) and their parents and family. ❤❤❤❤
The cut out to be able to feel some of the doll and grade level of braille changes are great thoughts. Even a QR coffee that works with technology we use is what I first thought of myself when I got her from Target the day she was released.
Molly, I hope you know that this is exactly what you're supposed to be doing. Your feedback is so well thought out and you can really tell that this is your passion, I'm so proud to have been a viewer of yours for years and years now. I tell everyone about you and how educational yet entertaining your videos are, and I feel like I've really gotten to know you as a creator and you are my favorite ❤
Oh, oh, my ,,, hearing you describe from your perspective about opening your gifts and overall being blind is such an literal eye opener for me and hopefully all of us sighted, I’ve been watching your for several years but this episode just brought it to the forefront, luv you and ll you do🥰
The thing about her eyes is that she just isn’t looking directly in front of her. Everyone looks like that sometimes, but dolls can only have one expression so they usually look specifically focused straight forward.
Girl! I am blind, my sunglasses are cat eye with an extremely sparkly trim. I don’t think I can put enough emphasis on the word sparkly in that description.😊
Sparkling, glamorous, glittering, disco-ish, shiny, shimmering, glowing, glimmering, twinkling, flashing and dashing. That's how I describe my glitter white cane, feels fitting for glasses as well
Omg those shoes are soooo cool Molly, I would love to get a pair like that someday! You looked absolutely stunning as Blind Barbie, even though we all know that you are already THE blind fashionista queen ahahah! So much love to everyone reading this💗
Kmart in Australia (like a cross between your Target and Walmart and not like your Kmart) has actually had a range of dolls with various disabilities for years. It's so great to see more and more representation in children's toys, particularly from the major companies.
I noticed the "blind stare" immediately 😅before you talked about it. They def did something to her eyes. So cool to see this Barbie come out! Even as a sighted person, this could have been so cool to play with and bring another dynamic to play-pretend. I loved making my own stories and playing with Barbie when I was a kid. Im sure I could have had a lot of fun with this. I will 100p get this for my kid, if I end up having one. 100p.
yeah her husband and mother are nuts for not noticing! Its not even subtle, its just tasteful imo. Similar to the downsyndrom barbie. You can tell she is downs but its not the advanced version, its more like a highly functional downs person.
It's a bit of a shame to know that such a huge step towards what we all are working towards in this world happened and some people's immediate response was to point out why it wasn't good enough. Mattel made a good step here and I think it's warranted to celebrate that.
Oh Molly, I had to pause before you opened her up, to comment: I'm all teared up, never would have thought about gift opening. Thank you so much for sharing something so personal. I think it will for sure help parents/friends to offer the option to their visually impaired loved ones so they too can have the joy/excitement of knowing what their gift is first.
Also blind Ken! and a Barbie with a ID cane and of coarse a guide dog, and other colored canes, a pink one and others that other countries use (full white, full white with red stripes)
As a child, me and my sisters would make our own disabled Barbies. We had two Barbies that were made to ride a bike so they had wobbly legs. We would pretend that Barbie chairs were their wheel chairs. We had a brats doll that’s feet could come off to change the shoes so we pretend like they had prosthetics. It’s so nice to see dolls being made of all of these disabilities. I know child me would have loved this because it’s just so nice to have that variety and differences for every character. Plus this will teach kids to see disabilities as more normal.
This is so cool! Seems like they did a great job with this! I'm with you, hopefully they will keep adding blind dolls/other accessories to their lineup.
I love your ideas!! I think they are great and show your experience as a blind child and I just would love to see your ideas come to fruition for other young girls to have a more enriched experience.❤
When I first saw the advertisement for blind Barbie, I personally noticed that her eyes are ever so slightly outward rather than perfectly straight ahead, but it’s very subtle. My husband has zero vision in one eye, though, so I’m used to observing his gaze not always being straight on.
The red part of the cane in the United States, was mainly created in states where it snowed, the white of the cane blended to much and that's why that bottom part has a reflective part to it. As far as I'm aware in the United States their isn't canes to define whether one is completly blind or low vision.
I love this! Thanks so much for sharing! I love your idea of having a blind Barbie with the guide dog. I would definitely buy it and I love your idea of having the cutout and the description and audio. Great ideas!🥰🐕💜🥰💜
Her eyes have more of the inner whites of the eye visible. Had I not known she was blind barbie, it would've made me think "is something different about her eyes?" But not an instant "oh she's blind". It's indicating her eyes appear to be looking in ever so slightly different directions.
You are awesome! I’m not blind, but I have disabilities. I’m in a wheelchair, and I appreciate that they have expanded their line of dolls with disabilities.
As a sighted person, I even was thinking they could have done a bit more to make it accessible for blind folks and expected more Braille, but to your point, the product is great and we love the inclusivity. Excited to see more toys that follow Blind Fashionista Barbie's lead✨
As someone who was a visually impaired little girl I think blind Barbie is so cool! I'm in my 20s now but my mom bought her for me for Christmas as soon as she came out. It would have been even more amazing if she was out when I was a kid because I never really felt represented in media, toys etc as a kid with low vision. But now more little kids of today can see themselves in Barbie.
@@disneytoysr4fun975I had low vision as a child that improved as I got older. I still have a very strong glasses prescription but my best corrected vision is not low vision anymore.
I love your channel Molly, you seem like a friend anyone would be very lucky to have. I never thought of you as a blind youtuber, you are a youtuber that is blind. Just like the new barbie
As an avid doll lover I'm so excited to add this girlie to my barbie collection, as I only collect disabled barbies. Unfortunately, I believe fashionista is just the name of the line the doll is a part of, not a descriptor of the doll herself. They recently (in February i think) released the first barbie with a service dog! So I can definitely see a guide dog in the future. Mattel has done a wonderful job representing disabilities in their barbie fashionista line! I only wish this continued with Mattel's other brands as well, like American Girl for example. There is a brand that makes accessories for dolls and stuffed animals that represent disabilities. It's called The Butterfly Pig and they have a folding white cane for stuffed animals and larger dolls!
I actually noticed the eyes were different on the Barbie before you even said anything. Theyre not looking completely forward. One is focused slightly off to the side.
Honestly I love the QR code idea. Even as a sighted person I would of thought that was so cool. I think it’s one those things that would fall into like the curb cut affect or like it may be initially intended for the blind but could benefit more people than it was intended to in the first place. But I can only imagine The difference it could make for blind children and adults to hear barbie give that audio description and not have to rely on other people to know what she looks like.
I love this! I am not blind but coming from a family with blind and nonverbal family members, close family at that this is everything. Barbie would be the one to do it and do it well they did, I would love it if they made accessories, as well as a guide dog that would just be the cherry on top of the cake for me. It would be even more cool if the guide dog looked just like your beautiful baby, yes Mattel should for sure do that with you. You had mentioned about the scan code and the voice being Barbie speaking to you and explaining her outfit and all over look that would be amazing I think, imagine all the little girls that Barbie is there hero they idolize her that would be amazing, good thoughts on that right there for sure hopefully in the future and soon the world is growing 💗 I love you molly 💕
This so gave me happy tears 🥲 I hope they consult you next time about the packaging, or watch this (I mean, a Barbie with guide dog MUST be up soon? Who WOULDN'T want that??) I'm thinking a problem with not having the plastic around the barbie might be that kids DO walk around touching things, and that sometimes they mess up a doll, making no one want to buy that but instead the next package behind it. Sadly, because it must be better to NOT have the plastic from most other perspectives too (price, environment etc.) The thing with Barbie herself telling you how she looks is BRILLIANT, however they manage to do it ❤ But this made me happy! My first thoughts were that it would be expensive & non-environment-friendly to have several plastic Barbies that would also be blind, instead of just buying a cane (me or my nieces having not been into Barbies). But they ARE sold like characters, aren't they? So I think this is brilliant, since it really has it's own character. Really great with the glasses that ARE there, but not glued on her face like you said, and the very subtle eye difference (I'd say she's having light strabismus, being wall-eyed, but it's very subtle since no Barbies have perfectly realistic eyes anyway), it makes kids know that people don't need to have those big glasses or "weird" (stereotypical) eyes to be blind. Perhaps the cane should stick better to the hand, maybe with a strong magnet or a better "click-in-place"? The cane not being able to fold might be better actually, because I imagine it could break easier if they could be folded. But I'm really impressed, and I especially loved to hear your opinions since it's so easy for an outsider to forget how things work in reality!
I can’t wait to share this video with the Vision Itinerant that I work with, I am the DHH itinerant assistant. I think this video could give him a lot of ideas and maybe some insight into how some blind kids feel in different circumstances.
Great review 👏! I was so happy to hear about blind Barbie too because special needs dolls like Barbies are some of my favorites 😃 Her eyes were made different on purpose they appear to be looking in opposite directions but in a subtle way 👍 They already have a Service Dog for Barbie so it would be easy to paint him black & call him Elton 😆 I love how you twinned with her so now she can be your mini-me 😎 As a doll collector myself many of us have our own mini-me's & they're so much fun 🤓 I don't have her yet because I haven't seen her in my stores but I can't wait to get her 🤗
OMG I love her even more after watching this video! If I'm being honest, I'd love if they did an ad for the doll. It would have been so cool if there was an ad on youTube and TV that demonstrated blind kids playing with the doll. I also have short hair. I dunno if you relate, but as a blind girl, my head is always down and my hair is always in my mouth. I seriously wish I could just snip it all off like a boy lol. It would also be nice if they made her with different outfits. I'm way too obsessed by black clothing. It would be great to see Barbie in a black T and jeans.
I also love that the Barbie doll doesn't have the sunglasses over her eyes all the time, like the stereotype we've been told from movies and shows. It's great to see a realistic portrayal in a Barbie doll.
First of all, you just gave away a plethora of brilliant ideas for free! Mattel should've paid you for this haha. Secondly, thank you for your perspective. You mentioned so many things I would've never thought of, and your story about opening gifts as a kid brought me to tears.
I think that is so cool that Mattel made a Barbie for the visually impaired that is awesome I have one also I am also visually impaired I am 64 years old and I still love Barbies till this day I was so excited when I saw that I just ran out and got me a Barbie doll to add to my collection that is so awesome
Thank you! I couldn't remember her name. I follow Barbie on Instagram & saw her video weeks ago explaining how she consulted with the Barbie team & Mattel, revealing blind Barbie to her for the first time.
What I have learned and understood when it comes to the colors on the cane is that if it's an all-white cane means that the user is completely blind and has no usable vision. A white cane with a red bottom means that the user have low, but some usable vision. And a white and red striped cane means that the user is totally blind and deaf :D
I would have flipped my wig to get this as a kid, I'm not blind but I would have loved to see this barbie, her Cain her Braille on her box, her fashion style her pretty soft hair, so freaking exciting, you had great improvement ideas I hope they come to fruition someday, I loved your costume too!!!❤ I would have loved to get a doll with those improvements as well, not that this is about me but my point is diversity is sellable to everyone, representation matters so much its worth braking the bank for but you don't have to because it's marketable! And yes, I also remember sticking my hands into the boxes at the store to feel their clothes etc. It was a thing!
Maybe this is discussed later in the video: If Mattel is honestly being inclusive, there will be braille on all of their products, not just this one.
I was thinking the same thing
Especially the audio or read-aloud-able text descriptions!
Yeah
that seems like too much. Most blind kids only want blind barbie anyway right? Lets be realistic and respectful and most of all GREATFULL.🍩
The idea of having a QR code and having blind Barbie, describe what she’s wearing almost brought me to tears because that would be so meaningful and so cute and so sweet and so inclusive, and I’m not even blind and don’t know anyone in my personal life that is blind And just knowing how big of an impact that would be to a kid navigating this huge world and being included in an actual meaningful way was very moving
I totally agree 😊
Full disclaimer, I'm not blind, but when you were talking about potential future blind Barbies it gave me the cutest idea I want to run by you guys. Back in the 90's-2000's I was gifted a mommy Barbie that would actually walk as you push her baby's stroller. Wouldn't it be so cute to give the same mechanic to a guide dog Barbie? When you like push her down, while standing up as you gently push her along, she could sort of kick her legs, and the dog could also kick his little legs and they can walk along together. Maybe there's a button on the dog that would bark when you press it. It could be SO CUTE.
Elton is trained to not bark, as was Gallup, Ben-Ben, and Gypsy. In general, they are trained to not bark. That said some medical alert service dogs alert with a bark, mine nudged me with his nose.
Imagine a button that says alert, and it moves its head up wiggles its nose when you press it
This is so cool I love it
wasnt there a dog walking barbie with this exact concept? they even could pick up the poop and stuff lol
it would be so cool if they did this with a service dog 🥹
I thought you were going to suggest a blind Barbie who's also a mother. That could also be cool.
Eyes: one of her ryes is very very subtly angled to the left and the other is fairly forward focused. Both are focused a tiny tiny bit up. They achieved the direction piece by making her iris the tiniest fraction smaller than other Barbies'. It is a very subtle effect, but its there.
I cried for 4 year old Molly's story about Christmas gifts. That is a really powerful reminder that low or no vision is a deeply interactional, relational issue that everyone should be aware of and gracious about.
I think it might be nice to take toys out of their packaging to wrap them, or if they're too delicate or something, wrap them in a plain cardboard box. That way the child can feel the toy at the same time as or before everyone else can see it.
@@conlon4332 I feel like those clothing giftboxes that are easy to open would be perfect for any gift that could fit in one. Maybe with 2 glittery (thick, & tactile difference) pieces of washi tape (easy to peel off) keeping the lid down.
I saw the video of the blind teenager who consulted on Blind Barbie. She picked out all of the clothes & cane. The doll was modeled after her. It's so cool that she & you share the same fashion taste & I immediately thought the doll looked so much like you. I was looking forward to seeing your video.
Can you share her name or social media? 🙏
@maarja-liisorgmets6890 Her name is Alexa Canepa & she's also the voice of the character in "Barbie Adventures"
I just checked & her account is private so... I'm not comfortable leaving anymore of a teenager's info. She's not an influencer & has a normal amount of followers. She's an average teen who happens to have been chosen for such a cool experience. I think that makes 'Blind Barbie' even more awesome. It's weird that I can't find the doll's name as she's supposed to be an actual character on their YT channel. I guess it's cause the episode hasn't aired yet.
Im do glad this youtuber didn't take her subscribers words as gospel, it would have been damaging to the young girl if Molly claimed to be the face of the doll. She is a different breed of influencer for sure! Most influencers would totally act like the main character and take ownership, overshadowing the young teen.
Those were literally excellent ideas for the packaging! Not only for the blind but it would have been cool too for the sighted kids to see what blind people need and maybe even have sparked more conversations about inclusivity!
As an adult doll collector I have a lot of beef with some of the things Mattel does. That being said, current Barbie Fashionistas is a budget doll line with the standard 5-point articulation. This doll has articulated elbows which most Fashionistas do not have (the other exceptions being Barbie Fashionistas that come with wheelchairs). So I do appreciate that her arms have more movement than the average Fashionista which makes sense since she's cane user.
@Imbatmn57I only like the 22 point articulation barbies because I can pose them close to being actual little humans terrorizing our house and getting into all our things. Since being disabled it's my new hobbie that doesn't take to much focus and energie so I actually want more 22 p barbies
@@gezondnaarhonderd Finding a hobby when you're disabled is incredibly important.
@gezondnaarhonderd I prefer more articulated dolls too, but I don't like the weird looking joints of the Made To Move line. So my favorite posable Barbies are from the Barbie Extra & I think Barbie Looks also has pose-ability without losing elegance.
@@nilawarriorprincess I agree with that the elbow and knee joints don't look great. The looks line has these aswell. I would not mind if they found a more elegant way to get the same range of motion!
@gezondnaarhonderd I must have been mixing up the joints of Rainbow High dolls with Made To Move. As an aspiring artist, I use my dolls as models for posing.
I noticed the unfocused, slightly upward turned gaze as soon as she came out of the box. It's subtle and respectful (IMO), but I think it probably helps her look blind even if you don't consciously notice it.
The color of your shirt through the review portion of the video matches the purple of Blind Barbie's skirt perfectly!
Mattel, please consult with Molly to make a Blind Barbie accessory pack! We need an Elton John 🫶🏻💗
I definitely would have loved to see a guide dog with the Barbie (even if not all blind people use guide dogs).
@@teijaflink2226 yesss! They should package the guide dog so people can pet the fur through the packaging🥰
From the viewpoint of a sighted person with some physical disability, I love the fact that this exists. It’s wonderful for representation and as a teacher, think it could be used as an educational tool. Especially for young children who should be learning about how people are special & different. There should be a line of all different types of special add ons for Barbie like walkers, leg braces, hearing aids, technology devices (for those who use speech programs) and other things. The possibilities are endless but this is definitely a start.
Once upon a time long before I was born Mattel had a line of dolls called Hal's Pal's and there was one who has leg braces and arm canes, a wheelchair one, a hearing aid rhythmic gymnastics girl, a blind girl with a dog, and Hal an actual amputee ski instructor. Also the average friend dolls and eventually we ended up collecting almost everything. They originally came with a iron on for your own shirt but because of the age we didn't try it. We are still missing just a few pieces and ended up also with a rare prototype boy in a wheelchair different than the regular one. I named him James.
I looked up a picture and you can definitely see the difference in her eyes compared to other Barbies. They look like she isn't focused on anything and her left eye looks as if it is "looking" a little to the left rather than completely straight on
I would say looking. Looking doesn't mean seeing, it just means looking. You can look and not see.
Reminds me of the 1998 Barbie book "Girls best friend" where Barbie and her sister train a guide dog puppy. Blind barbies are pictured with their guide dogs.
As a blind person who also is an accessible and universal designer (with a dash love especially for packaging design and making the graphic design I used to see and design accessible for all) I say yes to all those lovely ideas Molly! also would have loved them to also add letter shapes or symbols for those who can't see and can't read braille, or indeed and amazing description with the QR code. Or an embossed imprint of the barbie her face and hair, or full body on the back, or just the accessories (larger and with detail to feel)
I love everything you had to say about her, spot on! I am completely blind, no light perception or shadows or anything, my biggest disappointment with the doll was the description that Mattel provided.
I could still see Barbie when I was little, and I was able to play with Barbies up until I was 10 or so and still see them and the hair and the feet and the shoes and everything. I was super excited when I saw the blind Barbie, but then I read the Matel description and my heart sort of fell into my stomach. I know she looks beautiful, I've had people describe her to me and I know she's a beautiful gorgeous doll, but the way they described her made me feel like they were mocking the way our eyes can sometimes look. I feel like instead of just saying "here is blind her eyes point upward and outward" they could have maybe said that she was modeled after a real human being who had a blindness that caused her eyes to look a certain way and that a certain percentage of the population had the same kind of disease or whatever. I just really hate it the upward and outward description of the eyes, as someone who can't see the doll at all it made me think her eyes were pointing straight up at the ceiling and outward towards the walls. I know now that they didn't do that and that they treated it very respectfully, I just wish they could've put that in the description for those of us who can't actually see the doll but I really love your positive attitude and the way you described everything to us and I completely agree with the contracted braille issue lol. Please keep up the good work! 🩷🩷🩷
Once again and as always, thank you so much for your insight. Some of the things you mentioned that happened to you as a child I would’ve never even thought of. The part about getting gifts and not being able to be surprised or excited about them because you couldn’t see them really made my momma heart hurt for young Molly.
It opened my heart right up as well
oh wow you gave away such cool ideas for free. Even able bodied kids would LOVE to hear a vocal voice actress introducing herself as a barbie they've just got!
my favorite part has to be that she's part of the budget line. not a special or collectors edition. anyone can give gift a blind barbie to a loved one without having to give an arm and a leg for it.
Since Mattel is aware of you, I bet they're gonna see this twenty-five minutes of top tier marketing advice, and hopefully make it happen! Your ideas are so freakin' clever!
Your purple top looks amazing on you! The colour is everything on you!!
Lakeshore learning sells multi ethnic dolls with various adaptive equipment, including a white cane. There’s also a stuffed Guide dog with a removable harness. I have one of these dolls that was kindly gifted to me. It’s incredible! But it’s very expensive, especially compared to blind fashionista Barbie. I love mine so much! My kids really like her too.
Regarding the Qr code, they could also include a rfd sticker like what is used on the CVS Spken Rx. This way, the sticker can be added to the box without redisigning the packaging, preventing cost markups.
I have learnt something from watching this video. I never knew until now there were two different types of Braille. Love that blind barbie exists and the more they can make the better.
I didn’t know either and was actually wondering about the few braille letters 😊
@@mememe733 I am fully sighted and love being educated about disability from people like Molly.
@@vickimainard9566 me too 😊 there are so many things we just take for granted and never even consider being a hindrance for someone else.
I have PTSD and recently a friend of mine called me and said that for the first time she met someone with a psychiatric service dog (I’m Danish) and she looked kind of confused , so she thought about asking her if she needed any help, but remembered me preferring to avoid people, so she just went about her own business. She asked me if she had done the right thing or if she had been rude to not offering help. I was so happy 😁
Because not only does she finally acknowledge my disability but she also thought about how to act when meeting others.
Yes! Leave people with psychiatric service dogs alone unless they take contact with you themselves or ask for your help. Contact with other people, especially strangers, are often what causes the problems we have, like feeling overwhelmed and anxious, even if people are just being friendly 😊
This barbie is so awesome and your feedback is so great. Nailed the dress up.
I am autistic and i also hate opening gifts (and any surprises) in front of people. I get so much anxiety because it feels like a prank everyone is in on except me and they are all waiting for my reaction. Like you, I love surprises and gifts when I get to experience them alone and process them on my own time.
Molly looks JUST like Barbie!! Wow! The transition into blind barbie was awesome! I think a QR Code with Barbie explaining what she looks like is such a great idea!! I don't know anything about production but i feel like it wouldn't cost them too much either. I feel like that is very doable for the company.
I’ve never known a blind child (only ever met blind folx as adults). Your story about opening presents really touched me.
Molly, OMG,your story of opening your Christmas gifts in a room alone is so touching. Bravo, what a cleaver your girl you were. I'm so glad your family let you find your own way to enjoy Christmas the say way we all have. What a great story, I hope its one you've shared many times. I can see how helpful it wo6be for not only a blind child (adults too) and their parents and family. ❤❤❤❤
I’m so happy mattel finally gave us blind barbie. I get mine on tuesday. Ahh! So excited! Also, yes we need a guide dog for blind barbie
The cut out to be able to feel some of the doll and grade level of braille changes are great thoughts. Even a QR coffee that works with technology we use is what I first thought of myself when I got her from Target the day she was released.
omg the shirt you wore for most of this video PERFECTLY matched the purple of her skirt, like identical shades of purple. you are her, she is you!
Molly, I hope you know that this is exactly what you're supposed to be doing. Your feedback is so well thought out and you can really tell that this is your passion, I'm so proud to have been a viewer of yours for years and years now. I tell everyone about you and how educational yet entertaining your videos are, and I feel like I've really gotten to know you as a creator and you are my favorite ❤
Oh, oh, my ,,, hearing you describe from your perspective about opening your gifts and overall being blind is such an literal eye opener for me and hopefully all of us sighted, I’ve been watching your for several years but this episode just brought it to the forefront, luv you and ll you do🥰
Mattel, if you see this video, call this angel woman right freaking now!
The thing about her eyes is that she just isn’t looking directly in front of her. Everyone looks like that sometimes, but dolls can only have one expression so they usually look specifically focused straight forward.
Girl! I am blind, my sunglasses are cat eye with an extremely sparkly trim. I don’t think I can put enough emphasis on the word sparkly in that description.😊
Sparkling, glamorous, glittering, disco-ish, shiny, shimmering, glowing, glimmering, twinkling, flashing and dashing. That's how I describe my glitter white cane, feels fitting for glasses as well
talk about 'blinding' the haters lol.
I love your design suggestions and ideas. They could definitely make the boxes have cutouts, because they still do that with a few series.
Omg those shoes are soooo cool Molly, I would love to get a pair like that someday! You looked absolutely stunning as Blind Barbie, even though we all know that you are already THE blind fashionista queen ahahah!
So much love to everyone reading this💗
Kmart in Australia (like a cross between your Target and Walmart and not like your Kmart) has actually had a range of dolls with various disabilities for years. It's so great to see more and more representation in children's toys, particularly from the major companies.
This is so interesting I’d love to hear more content about how Molly would make products more accessible
I love that her skirt is almost an exact match of your shirt ❤😂
I noticed the "blind stare" immediately 😅before you talked about it. They def did something to her eyes. So cool to see this Barbie come out! Even as a sighted person, this could have been so cool to play with and bring another dynamic to play-pretend. I loved making my own stories and playing with Barbie when I was a kid. Im sure I could have had a lot of fun with this.
I will 100p get this for my kid, if I end up having one. 100p.
Yeah, they're definitely pointing in the opposite direction from each other, I'm surprised her mum and boyfriend couldn't see that
yeah her husband and mother are nuts for not noticing! Its not even subtle, its just tasteful imo. Similar to the downsyndrom barbie. You can tell she is downs but its not the advanced version, its more like a highly functional downs person.
It's a bit of a shame to know that such a huge step towards what we all are working towards in this world happened and some people's immediate response was to point out why it wasn't good enough. Mattel made a good step here and I think it's warranted to celebrate that.
The way you open your gifts is really cute and adorable.
Gosh this whole video has me in tears! As a 29 year old blind from one eye woman... this is very awesome.
Oh Molly, I had to pause before you opened her up, to comment:
I'm all teared up, never would have thought about gift opening. Thank you so much for sharing something so personal. I think it will for sure help parents/friends to offer the option to their visually impaired loved ones so they too can have the joy/excitement of knowing what their gift is first.
Love Molly so much. Such a great advocate with fantastic ideas and perspective. More companies should be hiring her for consulting!
For what it's worth, I noticed straight away that Barbie's gaze is slightly "off", I agree that it looks a bit unfocused and "upward." Nice touch!
Also blind Ken! and a Barbie with a ID cane and of coarse a guide dog, and other colored canes, a pink one and others that other countries use (full white, full white with red stripes)
As a child, me and my sisters would make our own disabled Barbies. We had two Barbies that were made to ride a bike so they had wobbly legs. We would pretend that Barbie chairs were their wheel chairs. We had a brats doll that’s feet could come off to change the shoes so we pretend like they had prosthetics. It’s so nice to see dolls being made of all of these disabilities. I know child me would have loved this because it’s just so nice to have that variety and differences for every character. Plus this will teach kids to see disabilities as more normal.
She looks just like youuu!! 💜
I absolutely love the colour of your top! I would call it a bluish lilac, and all shades of bluish purple constitute my favourite colour!
Ooh first few seconds of the video being up! Excited for a new vid!
This is so cool! Seems like they did a great job with this! I'm with you, hopefully they will keep adding blind dolls/other accessories to their lineup.
Wait, the other Barbie’s could see us!? 😂 jokes aside this is super cool!!!
Her gaze was the first thing I noticed looking at the box. I don't think I'd call it too subtle.
I love your ideas!! I think they are great and show your experience as a blind child and I just would love to see your ideas come to fruition for other young girls to have a more enriched experience.❤
When I first saw the advertisement for blind Barbie, I personally noticed that her eyes are ever so slightly outward rather than perfectly straight ahead, but it’s very subtle. My husband has zero vision in one eye, though, so I’m used to observing his gaze not always being straight on.
The red part of the cane in the United States, was mainly created in states where it snowed, the white of the cane blended to much and that's why that bottom part has a reflective part to it. As far as I'm aware in the United States their isn't canes to define whether one is completly blind or low vision.
i love that your shirt matches the barbies skirt!!
I love this! Thanks so much for sharing! I love your idea of having a blind Barbie with the guide dog. I would definitely buy it and I love your idea of having the cutout and the description and audio. Great ideas!🥰🐕💜🥰💜
Her eyes have more of the inner whites of the eye visible. Had I not known she was blind barbie, it would've made me think "is something different about her eyes?" But not an instant "oh she's blind". It's indicating her eyes appear to be looking in ever so slightly different directions.
You are awesome! I’m not blind, but I have disabilities. I’m in a wheelchair, and I appreciate that they have expanded their line of dolls with disabilities.
You remind me of Rachel Bloom! This is my first video I’ve seen of yours and man your vibe and energy is so fun!!❤
As a sighted person, I even was thinking they could have done a bit more to make it accessible for blind folks and expected more Braille, but to your point, the product is great and we love the inclusivity. Excited to see more toys that follow Blind Fashionista Barbie's lead✨
That is so cool for your community! Love it!! 🎉🎉❤
You really nailed that barbie look! I fully expected that you bought all the items 😂
As someone who was a visually impaired little girl I think blind Barbie is so cool! I'm in my 20s now but my mom bought her for me for Christmas as soon as she came out. It would have been even more amazing if she was out when I was a kid because I never really felt represented in media, toys etc as a kid with low vision. But now more little kids of today can see themselves in Barbie.
Were you only temporarily blind or did you get surgery as an adult?
@@disneytoysr4fun975I had low vision as a child that improved as I got older. I still have a very strong glasses prescription but my best corrected vision is not low vision anymore.
I cant wait for you Molly to get a barbie replica of you! 💕
The matching outfit was SOOOO CUTE
Barbie’s purple skirt matches Molly’s purple top so cute💜💜💜
All of the suggestions in this video are so on point! I hope someone at Mattel sees this video.
Appreciating the lavender backdrop 💜
I love your channel Molly, you seem like a friend anyone would be very lucky to have. I never thought of you as a blind youtuber, you are a youtuber that is blind. Just like the new barbie
As an avid doll lover I'm so excited to add this girlie to my barbie collection, as I only collect disabled barbies. Unfortunately, I believe fashionista is just the name of the line the doll is a part of, not a descriptor of the doll herself. They recently (in February i think) released the first barbie with a service dog! So I can definitely see a guide dog in the future. Mattel has done a wonderful job representing disabilities in their barbie fashionista line! I only wish this continued with Mattel's other brands as well, like American Girl for example. There is a brand that makes accessories for dolls and stuffed animals that represent disabilities. It's called The Butterfly Pig and they have a folding white cane for stuffed animals and larger dolls!
I actually noticed the eyes were different on the Barbie before you even said anything. Theyre not looking completely forward. One is focused slightly off to the side.
Honestly I love the QR code idea. Even as a sighted person I would of thought that was so cool. I think it’s one those things that would fall into like the curb cut affect or like it may be initially intended for the blind but could benefit more people than it was intended to in the first place. But I can only imagine The difference it could make for blind children and adults to hear barbie give that audio description and not have to rely on other people to know what she looks like.
I love this! I am not blind but coming from a family with blind and nonverbal family members, close family at that this is everything. Barbie would be the one to do it and do it well they did, I would love it if they made accessories, as well as a guide dog that would just be the cherry on top of the cake for me. It would be even more cool if the guide dog looked just like your beautiful baby, yes Mattel should for sure do that with you. You had mentioned about the scan code and the voice being Barbie speaking to you and explaining her outfit and all over look that would be amazing I think, imagine all the little girls that Barbie is there hero they idolize her that would be amazing, good thoughts on that right there for sure hopefully in the future and soon the world is growing 💗 I love you molly 💕
I'm so excited that Mattel created Blind Barbie! It's long overdue! Now we need blind Ken, Kevin, Skipper, Christie, etc.
This so gave me happy tears 🥲 I hope they consult you next time about the packaging, or watch this (I mean, a Barbie with guide dog MUST be up soon? Who WOULDN'T want that??) I'm thinking a problem with not having the plastic around the barbie might be that kids DO walk around touching things, and that sometimes they mess up a doll, making no one want to buy that but instead the next package behind it. Sadly, because it must be better to NOT have the plastic from most other perspectives too (price, environment etc.) The thing with Barbie herself telling you how she looks is BRILLIANT, however they manage to do it ❤
But this made me happy! My first thoughts were that it would be expensive & non-environment-friendly to have several plastic Barbies that would also be blind, instead of just buying a cane (me or my nieces having not been into Barbies). But they ARE sold like characters, aren't they? So I think this is brilliant, since it really has it's own character. Really great with the glasses that ARE there, but not glued on her face like you said, and the very subtle eye difference (I'd say she's having light strabismus, being wall-eyed, but it's very subtle since no Barbies have perfectly realistic eyes anyway), it makes kids know that people don't need to have those big glasses or "weird" (stereotypical) eyes to be blind. Perhaps the cane should stick better to the hand, maybe with a strong magnet or a better "click-in-place"? The cane not being able to fold might be better actually, because I imagine it could break easier if they could be folded. But I'm really impressed, and I especially loved to hear your opinions since it's so easy for an outsider to forget how things work in reality!
Mattle needs to make the barbie movie 2 and cast Molly!!!
Glad for blind Barbie to come out! Representation matters!
I can’t wait to share this video with the Vision Itinerant that I work with, I am the DHH itinerant assistant. I think this video could give him a lot of ideas and maybe some insight into how some blind kids feel in different circumstances.
Great review 👏! I was so happy to hear about blind Barbie too because special needs dolls like Barbies are some of my favorites 😃 Her eyes were made different on purpose they appear to be looking in opposite directions but in a subtle way 👍 They already have a Service Dog for Barbie so it would be easy to paint him black & call him Elton 😆 I love how you twinned with her so now she can be your mini-me 😎 As a doll collector myself many of us have our own mini-me's & they're so much fun 🤓 I don't have her yet because I haven't seen her in my stores but I can't wait to get her 🤗
Hi Molly :) I think the gaze reflects people who , like me , suffer from strabismus ❤ So nice to finally see a society that ‘s accepting of strabismus
this is so cool. about damn time !!
OMG I love her even more after watching this video! If I'm being honest, I'd love if they did an ad for the doll. It would have been so cool if there was an ad on youTube and TV that demonstrated blind kids playing with the doll. I also have short hair. I dunno if you relate, but as a blind girl, my head is always down and my hair is always in my mouth. I seriously wish I could just snip it all off like a boy lol. It would also be nice if they made her with different outfits. I'm way too obsessed by black clothing. It would be great to see Barbie in a black T and jeans.
I also love that the Barbie doll doesn't have the sunglasses over her eyes all the time, like the stereotype we've been told from movies and shows. It's great to see a realistic portrayal in a Barbie doll.
First of all, you just gave away a plethora of brilliant ideas for free! Mattel should've paid you for this haha. Secondly, thank you for your perspective. You mentioned so many things I would've never thought of, and your story about opening gifts as a kid brought me to tears.
It sounds like Matel really should have hired you as a package consulting! All of your suggestions were great.
I think that is so cool that Mattel made a Barbie for the visually impaired that is awesome I have one also I am also visually impaired I am 64 years old and I still love Barbies till this day I was so excited when I saw that I just ran out and got me a Barbie doll to add to my collection that is so awesome
58 years and legally blind since birth. I stopped collecting a long time ago, but I had to get this!
When there was blind Barbie, I was so excited because I’m blind partially, but I was so happy
I know that Lucy Edwards is the ambassador for blind Barbie so I think she must’ve consulted on her
Thank you! I couldn't remember her name. I follow Barbie on Instagram & saw her video weeks ago explaining how she consulted with the Barbie team & Mattel, revealing blind Barbie to her for the first time.
I have one and I’m 25. It is great that people like us have a Barbie to represent us. Now kids can go deeper into more disabilities.
omg they are litrally twins! thats so adorable haha i love it. now im hoping for a disabled ken as ken was one of my favorite as a kid
What a cool, fun thing to make a video about!
What I have learned and understood when it comes to the colors on the cane is that if it's an all-white cane means that the user is completely blind and has no usable vision. A white cane with a red bottom means that the user have low, but some usable vision. And a white and red striped cane means that the user is totally blind and deaf :D
I would have flipped my wig to get this as a kid, I'm not blind but I would have loved to see this barbie, her Cain her Braille on her box, her fashion style her pretty soft hair, so freaking exciting, you had great improvement ideas I hope they come to fruition someday, I loved your costume too!!!❤ I would have loved to get a doll with those improvements as well, not that this is about me but my point is diversity is sellable to everyone, representation matters so much its worth braking the bank for but you don't have to because it's marketable! And yes, I also remember sticking my hands into the boxes at the store to feel their clothes etc. It was a thing!
They really missed out on collabing with you for this!! I hope they call you in for guide dog Barbie!!
The lavender taylor swift popflex skirt would be SPOT ON for blind fashionista barbie’s skirt!