How companies are helping to fight the stigma around disabilities
Barbie dolls in wheelchairs and with prosthetic limbs
The Barbie doll with a prosthetic limb and another which comes with a wheelchair are both part of the 2019 Barbie Fashionistas line from Mattel which is being released in June 2019. The entire range intends to provide youngsters with more diverse representations of beauty.
Mattel has certainly gone the extra mile when designing both of its dolls with physical disabilities. For instance, when it was creating the Barbie with a prosthetic limb — which has the option to be removed for a play experience that has been deemed “more realistic” — the brand sought out the assistance of 13-year-old Jordan Reeves, a disability activist who was born without a left forearm. Meanwhile, the wheelchair which comes with another of the dolls in the new collection was designed after the toymaker received help from wheelchair experts and the UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital.
In a statement marking the launch of the 2019 Barbie Fashionistas line, Mattel acknowledged: "As a brand, we can elevate the conversation around physical disabilities by including them into our fashion doll line to further showcase a multi-dimensional view of beauty and fashion."
ASOS’s disabled-friendly clothing
Launched just in time for the 2018 festival season, British online fashion retailer ASOS released a tie-dye waterproof jumpsuit which captured plenty of attention as it had been adapted so that it was wheelchair friendly.
The jumpsuit was designed after ASOS collaborated with Chloe Ball-Hopkins, who is a British Paralympic athlete and BBC sports reporter. It features:
- A zip that goes around the waist and means that it’s simple to put on and take off despite being an all-in-one piece of clothing.
- Cuffed angles, which Ms Ball-Hopkins praises be stating that "so not only is that good for people with different heights, it also means it's easy to put wellies on".
- A waterproof pocket etched onto the breast of the clothing. For this element, Ms Ball-Hopkins pointed out: "Whether that's to put your phone in, or you've got medication or information you need to have on you in case of emergency, you can have it on you and know that it can stay dry."
As well as helping to design the jumpsuit, Ms Ball-Hopkins also modelled the clothing on ASOS’ website. What’s more, this came shortly after the fashion retailer ran an activewear campaign which featured Mama Cox — a model who has had her leg amputated.
How 3M’s workplace appeals for disability inclusion
Science-based technology company 3M has numerous ways to support both its employees who have disabilities and their families, including:
- The company’s entire workforce having access to the employee resource group, the disAbility Awareness Network.
- All employees being able to benefit from flexible work arrangements.
- Staff members being offered an employee assistance program which provides individualised consultation on matters such as how to navigate family and relationship issues, as well as ways to achieve maximum effectiveness at work.
3M’s exceptional support which it has provided to its employees with disabilities hasn’t gone unnoticed. For instance, the company was named one of the 2017 DEI Best Places to Work after recording a 100 per cent score on the 2017 Disability Equality Index — an initiative which allows businesses to evaluate their disability inclusion policies and practices objectively.
Despite the praise though, Marlene McGrath, the Senior Vice President of Human Resources at 3M, stated: "Having a diverse workforce with people of different abilities, backgrounds and experiences isn't enough, we have to appreciate and learn from those differences. We’re proud of the progress we’ve made, but we know we have to do more. We are committed to ensuring that all our people have the respect, tools and resources they need to reach their full potential.”
Sources
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/02/12/us/barbie-doll-disabilities-trnd/index.html
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-44721385
https://news.3m.com/press-release/company-english/3m-leads-way-best-place-work-disability-inclusion