An online campaign encouraging diversity among dolls is shaking up the toy industry. Toys Like Me and its hashtag of the same name was created by mums of disabled kids, who often makeover off-the-shelf toys to give them a more realistic look for their children. Through #ToysLikeMe, these parents are calling for better representation in the toy box from manufacturers.
Doll manufacturer Makies has released a line of dolls with disabilities.
Brands like Makies, AmericanGirl and My Little Pony have taken up the challenge, releasing a range of dolls with disabilities that will soon be available to the general public. The toys have been created to look more realistic with cleft lips, removeable hearing aids, portwine marks and walking frames. Their release is aimed to ensure children with disabilities don’t feel left out.
Moxie Girlz True Hope dolls were made to help young girls fighting cancer.
The Toys Like Me movement is being heralded around the world as a shift in the right direction towards inclusivity for disabled children. Paralympic champion Hannah Cockroft has praised the initiative, tweeting a picture of herself as a child with a disabled toy saying: “This is so awesome! My ‘Share a smile Becky’ wheelchair Barbie changed my life!”
Hannah Cockroft says the wheelchair Barbie she owned as a child changed her life.
