A Lego set to be released this year features one of its iconic minifigures using a wheelchair — a first for the toymaker.
The set, called "Fun at the Park," features a boy in a grey hoodie and hat sitting in a wheelchair, along with the boy's helper dog.
It also has a picnic table, a hot dog stand, a soccer net and a man pushing a baby in a stroller. The baby's body is also a new piece for Lego.
The new Lego set includes a man pushing a baby in a stroller. (Facebook/Promobricks)
The set was unveiled at toy fairs in London and Nuremberg, and photos were taken by the German toy fan group Promobricks. It is due to be released this summer.
Lego, based in Billund, Denamrk, has come under criticism for a lack of diversity in its minifigures.
A petition on Change.org posted in December by a group called Toy Like Me says, "Disabled kids are culturally excluded from your much-loved products." It has over 20,000 signatures.
Its co-founder Rebecca Atkinson wrote in an opinion piece in the Guardian, "This is more than just about sales figures or disability access, it's about changing cultural perceptions. It's about brands such as Lego using their vast power of influence to positive effect."
Lego responded to the petition with resistance.
"The beauty of the Lego system is that children may choose how to use the pieces we offer to build their own stories," the company said.
With the unveiling of "Fun at the Park," Atkinson wrote on Change.org, "We've got genuine tears of joy right now."
The minifigure wheelchair isn't the first wheelchair to be made by Lego. Certain Duplo sets, with larger blocks and figures aimed at preschool children, have included a wheelchair since 2011.
Several sets submitted by fans to the Lego Ideas website have included wheelchairs built from Lego bricks. None received enough support from Lego fans to be made into a set available for sale.
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