Just before the start of the New Year, American Girl revealed their 2020 doll of the year. This doll is the first one with hearing loss, and the internet (and us!) is loving the representation this doll gives.
Meet Joss Kendrick. She hails from Southern California where she is a competitive cheerleader who also loves to surf. She was born deaf in her left ear but can hear a bit out of her right ear with the help of a hearing aid. The hearing aid comes as an accessory.
This is the first doll ever created with hearing loss and her presence is significant. Representation matters and for the American Girl company to make a doll of the year that is deaf is huge. This Joss doll will make so many deaf little girls happy. American Girl did their research and teamed up with hearing loss experts for accuracy. They also consulted competitive cheerleaders, surfers, and used other deaf characters in the literary world as inspiration.