How Lego ramps for wheelchairs are helping provide access for all

Wendel rides his wheelchair over a ramp made of Lego bricks over a kerb in the German city of Wuerzburg. Photos: Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/dpa

One of Julian Wendel's most irritating daily problems was just 5cm high. Most people could take the small step in front of the entrance to his favourite cafe in their stride, but for a wheelchair user like Wendel, it was an annoying daily hindrance.

Rita Ebel was one of the first people to promote the building of Lego ramps. This earned her the affectionate nickname Lego Granny (or "Lego Oma" in German).

Kerbs and flights of steps are part of city life, but they can be huge obstacles to wheelchair users. Activists are trying to change the urban landscape, and mindsets – with the help of Lego bricks.