A beloved toy company joins the fight for equality – not just for kids, but for all mankind.
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Representation is vital. It’s vital to us as individuals, as a demographic and as a society. It, in all its forms, impacts and changes the face of the world with every person or group of people who stands up to make their voice heard. So why is it so difficult for some to take time to listen to those voices?
This is a question that we often ask about the ill, the underprivileged and the abused–but what about the disabled? Does society grant that demographic equal representation, perhaps as easily as it would for any other? If not, who’s going to right that wrong?
Is safe to say that no one person has the answer. There is no one single “be all, end all” answer to that question. There is however, one major trade,mark company that’s listening–and they recently through their name in the hat to create change in their own unique way.
On January 28, 2016, The National Public Radio (NPR) announced that Lego will unveil its first-ever figure with a disability. The news was reported via an article written by NPR contributor Bill Chappell, with the launch officially set for June. The article gave way to details about the figure, reporting that it will come in a wheelchair–along with multiple accessories. According to an unnamed source for a website called The Mighty, the goal is to help kids feel more comfortable with approaching the realm of disability.
“This is the first LEGO mini figure with a wheelchair, although previously there was a LEGO Duplo range, a series of the toys aimed at pre-school children, that featured an elderly man in a wheelchair. That set was criticized by activists for reinforcing stereotypes about wheelchairs only being for the elderly. This new figure is a part of the LEGO line aimed at older kids.”
The anonymous source also added that the launch of this new addition to Lego’s widely-recognized line of figures “will speak volumes to children, disabled or otherwise, the world over.”
The news has wept social media and has been picked up by the Today Show. Lego joins a growing line of toy companies that have made the bold decision to expand their lineup to represent the disabled. Such companies include Toy Like Me, whose representative, Rebecca Atkinson, recently praised Lego’s move.
“We are beyond happy right now,” Atkinson said in a statement posted on social media. “Lego have just rocked our brick built world and made 150 million disabled kids, their mums, dads, pet dogs and hamsters very very happy.”
This is not only a milestone for kids, but for humanity. It’s a fusion of creativity the need for equal representation for all, melted together by one of the most beloved brands in the world. So, if Lego and Toy Like Me are committed to building a better world one toy at a time, what are you committed to doing?
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Photo Credit: www.today.com
Great news & well written…it is truly about time all children can be represented in toys! A great start…
Oorah that. Bout time.
Is that also a dad pushing a baby carriage at the top? Dad’s can do that? Who’d a thunk!
Thanks! Yes, that us indeed a dad.