Nickolay Lamm, the creator of "normal Barbie" dolls known as the Lammily dolls, has developed a new accessory. The company is introducing wheelchairs for its fashion dolls to help normalize disability and do away with the stigma.
The wheelchair accessory for the toy could be used as a tool for educating children and perhaps promote a better way to enlighten young minds regarding differences and diversity. It could also boost kids with disability as they have a doll that can be a better representative of real life.
The wheelchair accessory works with any normal Barbie Lammily dolls and even actual Barbies. Nickolay Lamm recently launched the Kickstarter campaign to help fund for the dolls' manufacturing by the end of the year.
In testing out his ideas, Nickolay Lamm introduced his wheelchair prototype for the normal Barbie among young girls with disability in Texas. "The kids responded really positively to the chair," the doll maker said, according to People.
His goal is to make the wheelchairs as a common accessory as doll dresses. "It would be a huge step in helping physically disabled kids feel more empowered in a stigmatized society that often overlooks disability," he said. Watch the girls and their experience with the normal Barbie Lammily dolls in wheelchairs below.
But Nicoklay Lamm isn't exactly the first the come up with the idea for wheelchairs for fashion dolls. Barbie's manufacturer Mattel did have a doll in wheelchair before.
Becky dolls, pegged as Barbie's friend, were discontinued in 1997 because of design issues, according to America's Mobility Superstore. At that time, Mattel stated that they planned on redesigning the toy, but nothing was sent in stone. Barbie Becky dolls in wheelchair are still being sold at eBay though.
Do you welcome normal Barbie Lammily's wheelchair idea? Would you buy this for your children once available? Share your thoughts about this in the comments section below.
