Have you ever played with Lego? One of the most beloved toy brands around the world, often being hailed as the greatest toy to have ever been created, the Danish company has just made a big move forward towards greater inclusivity.
Lego has produced and released its first ever figure of a young person in a wheelchair. A campaigner has hailed the new figure as a step towards ending the “cultural marginalisation” of children with disabilities. Charities also commended the move, saying it would boost the confidence of disabled children.
Equal representation is incredibly important when it comes to children and their toys. When children can see themselves represented in the toys with which they play, it not only acts as a confidence boost but also as a reassurance.
The figure of the young person using a wheelchair was first seen at the Nuremberg Toy Fair in Germany on Wednesday, however the toy itself will not be available for purchase until this coming June.
The new figure comes after Rebecca Atkinson launched the ToyLikeMe campaign last year, urging Lego to draw an end to disabled children being “culturally excluded from your much-loved products”. Her Change.org petition received more than 20,000 signatures in support of Lego producing a more divers set of figures.
Pasca Lane, from disability charity Scope, commented in great support of the launch, hoping that Lego’s move would improve attitudes towards disabled children. However, whilst a great move forward, she stated that “Too many toy manufacturers are still missing a trick by not making toys with impairments widely available”. What are your thoughts?
To find out more about Lego’s new figure, check out these articles discussing the release here and here. To find out more about the ToyLikeMe campaign, check out Rebecca Atkinson’s blog here, this article written explaining the campaign’s main mission or visit their Facebook page.
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