(2).png){kind=icon}
to add an item to your Itinerary basket.
Rose Ayling-Ellis, star of EastEnders and Strictly Come Dancing, who became the dance competition’s first deaf contestant, has teamed up with Mattel to unveil their first Barbie with behind the ear hearing aids.
She also features in their new campaign, Rose, Barbie & Friends, which includes a cast of diverse models, all of which reflect the new line of dolls. As well as a Barbie with hearing aids, the new line also includes a Ken with vitiligo, a doll with a prosthetic limb and another in a wheelchair, as part of their Barbie Fashionistas line.
Speaking about the launch, Rose Ayling-Ellis, said: “It’s so important for children to be able to see themselves represented in the toys they play with. When I was little, I would draw hearing aids on my Barbie dolls to make them look like me, so I’m thrilled that Mattel is releasing more dolls that encourage kids to celebrate and embrace their differences.”
Mattel also enlisted the help if educational audiologist Dr Jen Richardson, who told reporters that she was honoured to work on the line. She said: “This could really help them [her patients] to be proud of their deafness, celebrate wearing hearing aids and have new opportunities to talk to their friends about what its really like to be deaf.”
Image: Rose Ayling-Ellis on Instagram
As well as working with Mattel, Rose Ayling-Ellis has also become the first celebrity to sign a CBeebies bedtime story after making her debut in May, telling the story in British Sign Language. The BBC has also recently announced a new documentary fronted by Rose which will reveal the daily challenges faced by the d/Deaf community. The documentary was announced at this year’s Edinburgh TV Festival, with the BBC saying: “The documentary will allow Ayling-Ellis to explore positive movements for societal change and inclusion for d/Deaf individuals while also questioning if society is adapting fast enough to allow for equality amongst the deaf and hearing worlds.”
The documentary news comes after Rose announced that she had left her role in EastEnders. She said: “This documentary will be real, emotional and hard-hitting and it is high time that the realities of deaf people in the UK were shared with a wider audience. My hope is to encourage people to look at our attitude as a society and to reflect on how we can improve the lives of d/Deaf people. It will not paint me as an inspiration but will instead lift the lid on the gritty stuff that we desperately need to confront.”
The Barbie Fashionistas line is available now.
