The LEGO Group has announced a series of initiatives to support consumers and collectors with disabilities. The announcement comes on International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
Through a partnership with Hidden Disabilities Sunflower, The LEGO Group will introduce three sets featuring characters wearing Sunflower lanyards next year. Introduced in 2016, the lanyard is an international symbol of hidden disabilities. The partnership will also help LEGO better support its employees. As part of its initiative, LEGO stores in Europe will be Sensory Inclusive Certified by KultureCity by the end of March.Â
The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower will be incorporated into LEGO Friends, LEGO Icons, and LEGO DUPLO sets, all of which will be available next year online and in stores. LEGO DUPLO First Time at the Airport is designed to help toddlers navigate the airport experience. The set features a child with a Sunflower lanyard; the minifigure comes with a suitcase and a teddy bear. The set includes a movable airplane, security desk, and pilot minifigure.Â
A similarly themed set, LEGO Friends Heartlake City Airport and Airplane ($99.99), for ages 8 and up, features Ryan, a university student with noise-reducing headphones and a Sunflower lanyard. The set includes eight other minifigures, a dog, an airplane, an airport, a taxi, and a luggage cart.
For builders ages 18 and up, the LEGO Icons Tudor Corner ($229.99) is a 3,266-piece that features a female minifigure with a sunflower lanyard. The character lives in the Old Guarded Inn, which includes a haberdashery shop and a watchmakers’ studio. Her apartment has a dedicated spot for her lanyard near the entrance.
LEGO Friends Heartlake City Airport and Airplane and LEGO Icons Tudor Corner will be available Jan. 1. LEGO DUPLO First Time at the Airport will be available June 1.
While they wait for the sets, LEGO fans can customize minifigures with the sunflower symbol at all 55 Minifigure Factories worldwide and online at lego.com.
KultureCity, the non-profit organization aiding LEGO in making its European stores more inclusive, was established in 2014. KultureCity has certified over 1,800 venues as sensory-inclusive and distributed nearly one million sensory bags to individuals. Through first responder training, the organization has saved 48 lives. It collaborates to promote awareness and understanding of non-visible disabilities.
The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower is a discrete, global symbol that lets people share that they have a non-visible condition that may require extra support, including but not limited to time, space, and understanding in public spaces. Lanyards and badges are free at participating venues and on the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower website.
To learn more about hidden disabilities sunflower, hdsunflower.com. For more information about LEGO’s forthcoming sets, visit lego.com.
