An advert which features a young disabled girl dressed up as Disney princess Elsa by American shopping chain has gone viral.
Praise has been heaped on Target for the Halloween advertising campaign, which shows their selection of children’s costumes. The young girl dressed as Frozen’s Elsa is shown with crutches and leg braces and is one of six girls to feature in the campaign.
Facebook Frenzy
The ad was posted on Facebook by Jen Kroll, whose daughter has Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita, and soon went viral:
“Dear Target, I love you. Thank you for including a child with braces and arm crutches into your advertising campaign! And as Elsa, no less!
“My daughter (with arm crutches and prosthetic legs) is going to FLIP when she sees this! Including children with special needs into advertising makes them less of a spectacle to the general public when they venture out into the real world. Normalising disabilities in children is PRICELESS.”
The post has now been shared nearly 6,000 times.
Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita
Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita is a lifelong condition that causes joint pain and stiffness. Jen Kroll has spoken about her Frozen loving daughter Jerrensia, 5, who suffers from the condition.
“People do not see children like my daughter very often. They don’t SEE children with disabilities.”
She said “People do not see children like my daughter very often. They don’t SEE children with disabilities. So when I saw Target place a child with Spina Bifida front and center, advertising Disney’s sweetheart, Elsa, it brought me to tears.
“This little girl was no longer invisible. Arm crutches and leg braces were demystified. Target made an effort to make her a part of mainstream culture. Not as an object lesson, but as a beautiful child with a great smile who was clearly excited about being Elsa.”
You can find out more about Target’s Halloween campaign here.
