Mattel on Tuesday announced it is selling a Barbie doll with Down syndrome, another step in the iconic toy promoting inclusivity to children.

The toy maker worked with the National Down Syndrome Society to design the doll so that it accurately represents a person with Down syndrome. 

“As the most diverse doll line on the market, Barbie plays an important role in a child’s early experiences, and we are dedicated to doing our part to counter social stigma through play,” Lisa McKnight, executive vice president and global head of Barbie and dolls at Mattel, said in a news release. “Our goal is to enable all children to see themselves in Barbie, while also encouraging children to play with dolls who do not look like themselves. Doll play outside of a child’s own lived experience can teach understanding and build a greater sense of empathy, leading to a more accepting world.”

The doll features a new face and body sculpt more illustrative of women with Down syndrome, including a shorter frame and longer torso. Its dress pattern — yellow and blue with butterflies — has colors and symbols associated with Down syndrome awareness. And the doll wears pink ankle foot orthotics, which some children with Down syndrome use to support their feet and ankles.  

“It was an honor working with Barbie on the Barbie doll with Down syndrome,” said Kandi Pickard, president and CEO of the National Down Syndrome Society. “This means so much for our community, who for the first time, can play with a Barbie doll that looks like them. This Barbie serves as a reminder that we should never underestimate the power of representation. It is a huge step forward for inclusion and a moment that we are celebrating.”

Mattel released a promotional video Tuesday showing families with Down syndrome children playing with the dolls and sharing their opinions about it. 

“It can bring tears to my eyes just to see that Barbie has Down syndrome,” one mother said in the video. “It’s a representation of my daughter.”

“To create a doll with Down syndrome is really Barbie saying, ‘We see you,’ that, ‘We see you, and we see your value, and we honor you as a part of our community,’” another mother said.

NDSS Grassroots Advocacy Manager Kayla McKeon, who has Down syndrome, said the new Barbie sends an important message.

“Just being able to capture what Down syndrome is and that having Down Syndrome doesn't hold us back,” she said in the video. “We want to share our abilities, not our disabilities.”

The doll is currently available in limited quantities online and will be for sale in major stores this summer and fall for $10.99, Mattel said.

Today, Barbie has more than 175 looks, offering a wide range of eye colors, hair colors and textures, body types, disabilities and fashions. Past additions to the Barbie lineup have included dolls with the skin condition vitiligo, with wheelchairs, with hearing aids or that have no hair. 

The 2023 Fashionistas lineup will also include a Barbie who wears braces and a Ken doll with a prosthetic leg.