Toymaker
The addition is part of the company's Fashionista Barbie line, which
The Barbie with the device -- a pink hearing device, no less -- is the first in the line to feature a hearing aid. She joins other dolls in the same line that reflect other conditions -- such as the best-selling Ken doll with the skin condition vitiligo.
In an effort to create devices that accurately reflect real hearing aids,
"I'm beyond thrilled for my young patients to see and play with a doll who looks like them," Richardson said according to CNN.
Some of the new Barbies in recent years have strayed from traditional body types and styles that have traditionally been seen among the smaller-than-life figures, with
"With a wide variety of skin tones, eye colors, hair colors and textures, body types and fashions, the dolls are designed to reflect the world kids see today,"
The Barbie doll was introduced in 1959 and has undergone countless changes over the past six decades. The first available doll wore a black and white swimsuit and was available in blonde and brunette. It's been estimated that more than a billion Barbies have sold worldwide since then.
A live-action motion picture based on the line -- starring
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