From ABC News:

Parents of children with Down syndrome are enthusiastic about a line of dolls that are intended to look like their kids. Downi Creations, an American company, manufactures the toys to help children with Down syndrome gain validation and acceptance. The dolls are also sold to colleges and universities as teaching tools.

Dr. Susan Anderson, director of the Down Syndrome Program at the University of Virginia Children’s Hospital, was one of the first people to buy one. She says she uses it to teach pediatric residents about Down syndrome.

“I think this is an acknowledgement that this is an important group of children that we have in our community,” she says.

Down Syndrome Friends, a line of similar dolls from Europe, recently has been the target of offensive online comments and has posted a disclaimer on its website.

See also:
Maker says they bring out beauty, but to mom they’re ‘weird’, Chicago Sun-Times

Related post here.

(ABC News photo)

This entry was posted on Sunday, June 29th, 2008 at 2:51 pm and is filed under Down syndrome, cultural attitudes, public attitudes, stigma. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.  Email This Post