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Faced with rows of inaccessible shops and cafes, a German wheelchair user has devised a low-tech high-fun solution by building her own ramps made of Lego. Rita Ebel was left in a wheelchair after a car accident 25 years ago and found getting in and out of shops around the German town of Hanau very difficult. She has even been given the nicknamed 'Lego grandma' by other residents in her hometown.
Rita Ebel, nicknamed 'Lego grandma', testing out one of her wheelchair ramps built from donated Lego bricks in Hanau, Germany, on Monday
Ebel started to build the ramps almost one year ago to raise awareness for disabled people in her hometown of Hanau
Helped by her husband, the 62-year-old grandmother often spends two to three hours a day building the made-to-order ramps which contain several hundred of the small plastic bricks stuck together with up to eight tubes of glue.
'For me it is just about trying to sensitise the world a little bit to barrier-free travel,' Ebel said.
'Anyone could suddenly end up in a situation that puts them in a wheelchair, like it did me,' she added.
The bright colours of the Lego ramps stand out in town centres, Ebel said.
'Nobody just walks past a Lego ramp without taking a look. Whether it's children who try to get the bricks out or adults who take out their mobile phones to take pictures,' she said.
'For me it is just about trying to sensitise the world a little bit to barrier-free travel,' Ebel said.
'Anyone could suddenly end up in a situation that puts them in a wheelchair, like it did me,' she added.
The bright colours of the Lego ramps stand out in town centres, Ebel said.
'Nobody just walks past a Lego ramp without taking a look. Whether it's children who try to get the bricks out or adults who take out their mobile phones to take pictures,' she said.
Ebel building a wheelchair ramp from donated Lego bricks in the living room of her flat in Hanau on Monday
Dozens of stores in her hometown of Hanau now use the ramps to ease the entry for wheelchair users
Local businesses are also enthusiastic about helping her by using the homemade ramps.
Malika El Harti, who got a ramp for her hair salon, said: 'It's a brilliant idea. Everyone who walks past is happy about the ramps. Finally you can see from afar that you can get in here without any problems.'
Reliant on donations, the biggest challenge is getting hold of bricks, said Eber, as many families can't bear to part with them.
The idea is even catching on abroad. Eber, who also has a part-time job, has sent ramp building instructions to Austria and Switzerland and there is interest from Spain and a school in the United States.
Malika El Harti, who got a ramp for her hair salon, said: 'It's a brilliant idea. Everyone who walks past is happy about the ramps. Finally you can see from afar that you can get in here without any problems.'
Reliant on donations, the biggest challenge is getting hold of bricks, said Eber, as many families can't bear to part with them.
The idea is even catching on abroad. Eber, who also has a part-time job, has sent ramp building instructions to Austria and Switzerland and there is interest from Spain and a school in the United States.
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