Essex mum with vitiligo wants toy companies to show more diversity in their products
This comes as new dolls with vitiligo and alopecia are released
Last updated 2nd Sep 2022
An Essex mum with vitiligo is calling for toy companies to do more to show diversity in their products.
This comes as the Rainbow High brand launches a new range of dolls including one with Vitiligo, a long-term condition where white patches develop on the skin, caused by a lack of melanin, and one with albinism.
Natalie Ambersley, from Hornchurch, is a trustee at The Vitiligo Society. She says she was excited to hear about the dolls: "These dolls are a huge breakthrough for the Vitiligo community...
"Children want to see themselves represented. They want to see themselves in books, they want to see toys that represent them. They want to feel included in society...
"I've had Vitiligo since I was three years old, so I don't know a life without it. Growing up, I didn't see anything that represented me. The magazines I read didn't have models with vitiligo, there were no toys, no books, there was nothing out there and that made me feel very isolated.
"If know that if I was to have toys like this when I was growing up, it would have made me feel like I was part of something. It would have made me feel like I was part of a community."
She now wants to see more companies follow suit:
"Children need to see that we live in a world where all sorts of people exist and there isn't one type of beauty.
"Children with vitiligo and other visible conditions need to see that they're represented too... It helps them to develop their own self worth and their confidence, and it makes them incredibly proud and happy to see that they too can be included in what what society sees as beautiful."
Natalie is among 41% of parents who'd like to see more diversity in toys and in children's entertainment, according to research conducted by Rainbow High.
She says having more diverse toys would help children without conditions like Albinism to learn about them more easily: "Education and raising awareness is absolutely key. One thing children really struggle with is explaining what vitiligo is and dealing with the stares from other children, who might be asking them questions.
"With the diverse toys that are coming out now, children are able to explain what Vitiligo is and can educate others."