DANISH LEGO BRAND DID UPSET PARENTS OF DISABLED CHILDREN

USPA NEWS - A campaing group for parents of disabled children got upset with Danish toy maker LEGO when releasing a new Duplo set, which they feel provides a superficial depiction of disability including an old man in a wheelchair being pushed by a young person...

The campaign group argues that the inclusion of an old man in wheelchair in a new LEGO toy creates the misleading impression that disability only affects the elderly (grey-haired man). It doesn't make the young children with disability feel included. Online Advocacy Group "Toy Like Me" said that the toy was "disappointment" and that toys companies should make products that represent children with disability too. The co-founder of the group, Rebecca ATKINSON, said in a statement "We applaud LEGO for producing a wheelchair-using Duplo figure but it is disapponting that the only weelchair-using figure across all LEGO products is an elderly person being pushed by a young figure ".

Also, the design of the wheelchair is grey having a medical appearance and the wheels do not look like being able to turn around. She added " If this grandpa figure was one of many (and) stood aside a range of other vibrant characters with disabilities varying in age, then there would not be an issue ". The Danish Company declared in a statement : " We have very high expectations of our products. This also includes the text we use to describe them towards consumers. We are sorry that wording which could be considered offensive has been used, as this has not been our intention at all. ".