CWU News

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The appearance of fashion dolls has changed drastically over the decades since Barbie debuted in March 1959, becoming more diverse and assuming new body types, ethnicities and roles.

And now, with a fashion doll-size wheelchair created by Lammily Dolls through a Kickstarter campaign sponsored by Central Washington University, they can also be physically disabled, bringing attention to the need for universal design — making products to serve those with disabilities, notes a news release.

“It was important for us to be involved in the startup of the Lammily wheelchair because it shows that we are supporting the innovation that is progressive socially of identifying how prevalent disabilities are,” said Naomi Petersen, accessibility studies professor at Central, in a news release.

The university offers the only accessibility studies program in the nation and supported a Kickstarter that developed the only fashion doll-size wheelchair on the market.

Read the article in its entirety online at the Yakima Herald Republic.

CWU Accessibility Studies Central offers a certificate and minor in accessibility studies. With a focus on teaching that all environments should be accessible for all people, the program helps students in diverse career fields — social work, communications, construction, law and justice and human resources — understand compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and how to interact with people who may have different abilities. The certificate and the minor can be completed online in as little as 10 weeks during the summer session, or courses can be taken one at a time during the year. Enrollment is underway for summer session. To learn more, visit www.cwu.edu/accessibility-studies.