Ebel, who is also affectionately known as Lego Grandma, was paralysed after a car accident about 30 years ago. She and her team invite participants on an eye-opening tour of Hanau's city centre, near Frankfurt. The man she calls out to is a "pedestrian," as Ebel likes to call non-wheelchair users. As part of Ebel's "Change of Perspective" project, pedestrians get a first-hand experience of moving around in a wheelchair.
Volunteers provide the wheelchairs and guide participants as they face challenges like steep ramps and high shop counters, revealing obstacles that are often invisible to non-disabled individuals. Despite following Ebel's advice to lean forward and turn the wheels vigorously, a man attempting to navigate the ramp made of Lego bricks nearly tips over backward. The experience leaves the novice wheelchair user breathless and with a newfound respect for the challenges of wheelchair users.
Jessica Traxel faces similar difficulties on the same ramp. The project aims to highlighting the obstacles and limited access many people with limited mobility face daily. Thomas Klingenstein, a year-old participant, confidently takes on the ramp in a wheelchair.
The ramp, crafted from Lego bricks by Ebel and her team, has a notably steep incline. Ebel's custom Lego ramps offer a practical alternative, as they can be built steeper to fit limited spaces.
Although no official standards exist for these Lego structures, Ebel and her team include a legal declaration of use with each ramp they deliver, ensuring transparency and safeguarding against liability.
