Wheelchair user ramps up accessibility around local town with ingenious use of Lego
A wheelchair user is helping to improve accessibility in the German town of Hanau by building creative, attention-grabbing wheelchair ramps brick-by-brick using Lego.
Rita Ebel, a grandmother and wheelchair user from Hanau in Germany, has faced accessibility issues for more than two decades following her car accident.
It was after a conversation with a friend of hers who lamented having to be carried down shop steps by strangers because of a lack of ramp that inspired Rita to find a solution.
Her solution: ramps made from Lego bricks.
Reading an article with construction details for a Lego ramp, Rita and her husband decided to build their own ramps to help residents in Hanau, distributing the DIY ramps for free to businesses in the town.
Speaking with the Hanauer Anzeiger newspaper, she said: “The ramps are a great help, but also an eye-catcher.
“This is to draw attention to the fact that there are still many obstacles for wheelchair users that need to be removed.
The pair spend hours each day rummaging through tubs of Lego bricks and use a special adhesive to achieve the necessary stability.
“You don’t think that at the beginning, but the ramps are super stable, can be made for different heights and have the advantage that they are mobile and have a good grip,” she continued.
Emphasising that the construction instructions are easy to follow, Rita’s Lego ramps have garnered outside of the small German town, with her ramps being sent to Austria and Switzerland.
Additionally, Rita has also been contacted by a Spanish tourism association and by a school in the United States interested in her work as a project for its pupils.
“Our campaign is picking up speed and rolling,” she commented.
“It’s great to see how many people are interested in it and want to participate.”
With all ramps being given for free, Rita added that any money donated is used to purchase more of the plastic Lego bricks.
https://thiis.co.uk/wheelchair-user-ramps-up-accessibility-around-local-town-with-ingenious-use-of-lego/https://thiis.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Wheelchair-Ramp-Lego.jpghttps://thiis.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Wheelchair-Ramp-Lego-150x150.jpgNewsroomSector Newsaccess,Accessibility,bricks,creativity,germany,Lego,Ramps,Rita Ebel,wheelchair rampA wheelchair user is helping to improve accessibility in the German town of Hanau by building creative, attention-grabbing wheelchair ramps brick-by-brick using Lego. Rita Ebel, a grandmother and wheelchair user from Hanau in Germany, has faced accessibility issues for more than two decades following her car accident. It was after a conversation...Calvin BarnettCalvin Barnettcalvin.barnett@bhta.comAuthorTHIIS Magazine