Victory for campaigner as Lego create first disabled character
A mother who has run a campaign for more toys to reflect disabilities has hailed Lego's first character to appear in a wheelchair a huge success.
Rebecca Atkinson gathered 20,000 signatures to a #toylikeme petition asking for children's toys to reflect all manner of disabilities.
The mother of two, who is partially deaf and has tunnel vision due to genetic condition retinitis pigmentosa, says that among all the fantasy figures, Lego unveiling a young man in a wheelchair at the Nuremberg toy fair is a great step forward.
My heart skipped a beat, it's just fantastic.
Lego means "play well" in Danish and has been around since 1932.
It is the largest toy company in the world with annual sales topping £2.8 billion.
number of disabled children in the UK
number of disabled children across the globe
This move by Lego is massive in terms of ending cultural marginalisation, it will speak volumes to children, disabled or otherwise, the world over.
Lego confirmed that the wheelchair would form part of a set which would go on sale in June.
To find out more about Rebecca's campaign click here