Dolls and diversity: how toys pass on the power of being seen

Toy firms in a small town in Spain pioneered beautiful dolls with Down’s syndrome 13 years ago – and changed the lives of children everywhere

The first time Kelle Hampton glimpsed a doll with Down’s syndrome, anger boiled up inside her. Its exaggerated features bore little resemblance to the sweet facial characteristics that she loved about her daughter Nella, who was born with the genetic disorder.

The experience set the US blogger and author firmly against such dolls. But to her surprise, years later she found herself smitten with another doll. This time it had been carefully crafted to subtly capture the characteristics that made Nella unique. “This one was simply a beautiful doll any child would want to play with,” she said.

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from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/3rVmTpO