Mattel is changing the game with disability representation
The disabled and neurodiverse community is one of the most underrepresented and misrepresented communities - even though we make up 26% of the population. In TV and Film, we are only represented 3.1% of the time - a mere eighth of our actual population.Recently, however, businesses have upped their game. But are they doing it the right way? There is a vast difference between representation and tokenism, and if media and brands don’t include disabled and neurodiverse people in all parts of the process, they end up missing the mark. One of the brands that have done a really excellent job is Mattel. They have created Barbie dolls that have different disabilities - ranging from being wheelchair users to having vitiligo. Plus, their representation is intersectional, with disabled dolls of different genders and ethnicities.
They have also started releasing these dolls internationally, and expanding their global reach so that children with disabilities worldwide can have access to them. Dolls that have just been released in the UK include one Barbie with hearing aids, another in a wheelchair, one with a prosthetic leg, and a Ken doll with Vitiligo. Mattel released these dolls alongside disabled models and celebrities - actress Rose Ayling-Ellis, teen model James Stewart, model and yoga teacher Faisha, and model Reneé Valentine.
But Barbie isn’t the only brand that Mattel has made more diverse, the toy company acquired Thomas the Tank Engine over a decade ago and since then they have taken strides forward to make the franchise more diverse and inclusive. In 2018, new female trains were introduced, as well as trains of different ethnicities and races - there are engines from Kenya, China, India, and Australia. Now, in 2022, we have an autistic train called “Bruno the Brake Engine”.
Many autistic children, although not all, have a particular love for trains. According to psychologists and autism specialists, this is due to a variety of different factors. So, it is no surprise that children with autism love Thomas the Tank Engine. There was actually a study done in the early 2000s that explored the relationship between the show and autistic kids. Although the study is old, its findings are still relevant today. Besides the usual attraction of trains, the characters on the show are easily identifiable by their simple and bright colors. The trains also have exaggerated and easy-to-read facial expressions which allow autistic children to easily identify how the characters are feeling.
Mattel has done a really great job with Bruno the Brake Engine. Let’s take a look at why.
They used an autistic voice actor. Nine-year-old British actor, Elliott Garcia, has done a wonderful job of bringing Bruno to life. Not only did they hire an autistic actor, they also adapted their casting process and recording process to make it accessible and comfortable for Elliott, who talks about his experience here.
Accurate representation. Bruno the Brake Engine has been carefully designed to portray autism realistically and beautifully. Of course, not all autistic people are the same or have the same experiences of autism, so the character will be unable to capture everyone’s lived experiences, but in general, Mattel has done a good job. The little train loves schedules, and he flaps his ladders whenever he experiences big emotions like excitement or upset. He also rolls in reserve at the back of the train, which gives the red engine a unique perspective. His outlook isn’t portrayed as negative, just different, which is a beautiful way to think about neurodiversity in general. Thankfully, Bruno also doesn’t fall into any of the 4 main disability tropes that we often see in media: The Hero, The Villain, The Fool, and The Burden. I talk in detail about these tropes and why they’re harmful to the disabled community in my Simplified Inclusion Training, which is available for both individuals and companies.
In this month’s Nuanceletter, I dig even deeper into disability representation and why it’s so important. You can sign up for my monthly Nuanceletter here to stay on top of what’s happening in the disability community.
