We're All Barbie Girls

Along with getting asked about how Self-ValYOU applies to people who are older, or boys, lots of times I am asked about how the program can be accessible to people with disabilities. There are two things I always say! One, self-image isn't just about body image. You can be feeling down about how you are doing in school, or having a hard time in a friendship, and you can use SVY to help turn around that negative thinking.

Two, and maybe even more important, EVERYONE has a body! Just because you may have a disability doesn't mean you may not feel down about something you are having trouble with because of that disability, or you could feel the same as any other teenager when you look in the mirror and start doing the comparing that we all do sometimes. That is why it is really important to have positive body image models and examples for people with disabilities and I was so excited to see an article about a toy company who is doing that!

Mattel is who makes Barbie dolls and they just announced that they have a new line of "Fashionista" dolls coming out this year. They will feature dolls with disabilities, including a wheelchair and a removable prosthetic leg! Even cooler is that one of the people the company consulted to get ideas for the dolls is a teenager from my home state! Jordan Reeves is a Columbia, MO teenager who has used her own experience with limb differences to educate others. She was even just featured in Microsoft’s Super Bowl ad promoting the company’s adaptive gaming controller which was one of my favorite commercials from the whole Super Bowl. She has her own non-profit organization called Born Just Right and is an amazing inspiration for people of all ages.

Not only is Mattel featuring dolls with disabilities, they are showing dolls with different body types, like larger waists, or smaller chests. I think that is awesome. Thank you Mattel for doing this and giving people of all abilities a positive example! You can see an article about the new dolls at https://www.teenvogue.com/story/barbie-wheelchair-prosthetic-leg?utm_source=twitter&mbid=social_twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_social-type=owned&utm_brand=tv .

And here is Jordan's amazing commercial for Microsoft. She is the girl who first appears at 10 seconds in.