A resident in a wheelchair moves to Sesame Street. The doll is called Elin, is seven years old, smart and interested in technology, as the North German Broadcasting Corporation (NDR) announced on Sunday in Hamburg. For the first time, a character with a disability strengthens the German puppet ensemble.
NDR program director Frank Beckmann explained that children with disabilities had previously been presented on “Sesame Street”. “Now the world of dolls is becoming a little more inclusive.” Elin will enrich Sesame Street with her stories.
The NDR produces the German “Sesame Street” and has been cooperating with the Sesame Workshop from the USA for 50 years. “With Elin, a girl interested in technology and craftsmanship is moving into Sesame Street, who is showing German children that the wheelchair is in no way an obstacle to growing up smart, strong and with a lot of joy,” explained the General Manager of Sesame Workshop Europe, Stefan box miller. Elin’s best friend is therefore the red Muppet monster character Elmo.
According to the information, the impetus for the new character came from the Equal Opportunities Officer of the NDR, René Schaar. People from the disabled community were involved in the development “to ensure that the character is realistic and believable”.
NDR will be shooting new spots for the 50th season of the children’s cult series until March 30th. Elin made her debut as a challenger to Cookie Monster in an episode of the quiz show spoof Prime Climate. The series addresses environmental and climate protection issues in a child-friendly way. The new episodes of “Sesame Street” can be seen from autumn 2023.
