Every year on New Year’s Day, American Girl releases their “Girl of the Year,” doll. This doll is supposed to relate to the girls of today. As a former employee of the company I would often look forward to this day with anticipation as it was always a busy day, but it was also fun to see how the girls would react to the new doll.
This year American Girl released Joss as their “Girl of the Year.” Joss is a surfer and cheerleader who has hearing loss and needs a hearing aid to help increase her ability to hear the world around her.
Wait what? A doll with hearing loss?? But dolls can’t hear! That’s besides the point, the point is American Girl has a released a doll to show a example to young girls that regardless of ability or dis-ability they can do whatever they set their mind to.
My first American Girl doll was gifted to me by my sister and one of the first things I wanted to do was to get hearing aids for my doll, so it would look like me! So my doll became the first doll at American Girl Kansas City to get bilateral hearing aids 🙂
Just like Joss, I have reminded myself over the years that I can whatever I put my mind to despite my hearing loss. Between my 4-H activities growing up, playing piano, running, volunteering for organizations that I love, and now being a speech- language pathologist, I am not limited at what I can do. I may not be able to do things like swim in the pool with my hearing aids in , or join the military, but I have the power to do so many other things. This year I have had the pleasure to work with a student with cochlear implants, who is active in her school, and they remind me that despite a dis-ability, it is possible to achieve great things with a little bit of hard work and determination!
** Just a note, the reason why I label it dis-ability, is that dis-abilities, give individuals the ability to see the world from a different and unique perspective.**
Until next time!
-HoH Speechie
Pictured above is my “Look Like Me,” doll with hearing aids.
HoH Speechie 