Twitter Q&A Today 6/29 with SimGuruGrant

"nolurk;c-16583375" wrote:


Admittedly, I wasn't really following this forum during the Sims3 era as often so wasn't aware the wheelchair debate came up in that sense. However, I remember going back to the Sims1 era, there were simmers who requested wheelchairs or wanted to see some acknowledgement of sims with disabilities. I even had a friend (and fellow simmer) back then who was left confined to a wheelchair at an early age and wanted to make a sim version of herself to reflect that part of her as it was just a part of who she is and she often brought it up at some forums during that era just as I remember some simmers (when we got elevators) hoping to likewise see wheelchairs happen in the Sims2 era or some disappointment in the Sims3 era on various fan forums that only the elderly could use canes (as some had hoped it might mean more attention possibly being paid toward creating sims with various disabilities and younger sims potentially being able to use them, as happens in real life sometimes).

However, the issue ironically reminds me of what you were saying about the Becky doll from the Barbie franchise (I remember when that happened--and the issue that was brought up about how she essentially couldn't go where Barbie went, as you pointed out (which I even remember seeing some video of back then illustrating that point, especially with the dreamhouse where the wheelchair wouldn't even fit in the elevator)). I keep wondering if it goes back to some of the same reasons why we've never really successfully been able to adjust certain attributes such as height with sims where there's a certain scale in which they design things to function within (again, going back to the Becky-Barbie thing).

Regardless, the whole issue reminds me of something I remember reading a number of years ago in an interview with a member of the team which developed the very first Sims game and their mentioning of the different topics that were discussed to include in that game and which they felt comfortable with addressing and including (at that time) versus which ones should not have been in the game and sometimes how to address them (especially for topics that were considered very controversial back then).

On a side note, I appreciate that one of the Simgurus appears to be addressing or listening to players--and wish I had known about it going on on Twitter much sooner!

There were 3different versions of Becky (Well 4, the original's hair was too long and got caught in the wheels of the chair). Apparently all 4 versions of the doll flew off the shelves. and also with a Golden Book she was a camp counselor with Barbie. In some CD Rom game where Barbie was a Detective Becky was the tech whiz.

First one was the original was "Share a Smiley Becky which hair was too long. The next one was "Becky I'm a school Photographer" and then a Becky who could do American Sign Language. the last one was a Paralympics



In March of 2013 Mattel was giving bald Barbies (a new friend named "Ella") to hospital gift stores and I think some charties


I know American Girls stores allow you to um..have one of the dolls (as long as they're 18") fitted with an hearing aid and there are some other disabilities (or issues) that you can buy as accessories. There's a Service dog vest complete with Harness, there was an "allergy-free lunch" there's a wheelchair, braces (technically, not a disability), or glasses (which could/could not be a disability). The company has recently started offering dolls w/o hair


In April of 2013 a Mom of a Down Syndrome child has made a lot of money by selling dolls that look like children with Down Syndrome. It started because when her daughter was 9 years old, she (the daughter) couldn't find a doll which looked like her. As of April 2013 they were planning to include leg braces at some point because some Down Syndrome children have leg braces but are hesitant to use them. But might be less hesitant if there's a doll that also has them. There's the option of having a chest scar that some of these children have. As of 2013 she sold 1,000 dolls and had another 1,000 preorder and at that time the dolls were selling at $75.00+shipping

There's a company on Facebook called "Toys Like Me"

"ToyLikeMe® is an arts and play based not-for-profit celebrating diff:ability in toys and calling on the global toy industry to positively represent 150 million kids" Something doll artist can do is put scars or birthmarks (I can't remember what's its called, but one side of your face looks like it's been beaten up or something?) Another toy company specialises in making dolls which have limb difference.

Lego around 2013 introduced a wheelchair user


You can see how much research I put into this back in 2013