The term diversity has become a rather divisive word of late. But it means far more than the colour of someone’s skin or how they choose to identify. It’s about being seen and accepted. Something extremely important for kids and adults alike. And whilst a vocal few are using diversity to further their hateful causes, others are doing their utmost to celebrate diversity. When BricksFanz first launched under the guise of BricksFans, the big news of the moment was the introduction of a wheelchair element in a LEGO® City set. The news spread like wildfire and was even picked up by mainstream media. Since then, the LEGO Group has gone to great lengths to show that differences aren’t that different.
Companies like to highlight the good things they do and often follow ‘trends’, but despite what some might say, reflecting the world around us isn’t a trend. LEGO sets are often lauded for their ability to inspire creativity. But just like most toys, they help kids discover themselves. Which is why it’s key that the toys they play with reflect them and those around them.
As mentioned, the introduction of the wheelchair element was where it all began. This was included in set 60134: People Pack – Fun in the Park. Since then, a second design was created along with one for Friends mini-dolls, and there was even a racing wheelchair for the parathlete in series 22 of LEGO Minifigures. In fact, the collectable LEGO Minifigures have featured several unique representations of differences. These include the Series 25 Sprinter and the Series 27 Astronomer Kid.
Minifigures with hearing aids began appearing in several sets and have since started to appear on different skin tones. Hearing aids were first featured as print detail on heads. Since then, a minifigure sporting a cochlear implant was also introduced, with the device included on the minifigure’s hairpiece.
When the LEGO Friends theme was relaunched in 2002, the new characters from Heartlake City were “representative of the world that today’s kids navigate, inclusive of gender, culture, ethnicity, physical traits and abilities, non-visible disabilities and neurodivergence”. In the main cast of characters, Autumn was shown to have a limb difference. In 2024, some of the LEGO Friends took a trip to the waterpark along with Sara, who proudly wore an ostomy bag. A person with the skin condition vitiligo has also featured in the Friends theme. This shows the character with the same patched skin tones, commonly associated with the autoimmune disease.
Sight loss is a little more difficult to show on a minifigure or mini-doll, but various accessories have partly helped to represent the condition. These have included simple things like giving a minifigure a white stick, such as one of the visitors to the LEGO Ideas Botanicals Garden set had, or a harness for a dog figure to show the use of a guide dog.
Representing differences doesn’t just appear in sets from original LEGO themes. Various licensed sets have also featured characters with non-powered ‘superpowers’. Sun-Spider from the Spider-Verse series is shown using crutches. Echo, who first appeared in the Disney+ Hawkeye series, has a prosthetic leg.
Last year, the LEGO Group teamed up with Hidden Disabilities to introduce the sunflower lanyards to LEGO products. The sunflower lanyard is a visual representation that people with hidden issues wear, letting everyone know that you might need extra help, understanding, or just more time. The first sunflower lanyards were featured as printed detail on minifigures, mini-dolls, DUPLO figures and other elements, as well as being an option to use during the LEGO Store’s Minifigure Factory experiences. In early 2026, a sunflower lanyard element was introduced, meaning any minifigure or mini-doll could wear one.
Differences are part of life; if everyone were the same, things would be pretty boring. But sometimes those who are a little different from others may feel lonely. For kids in particular, seeing themselves in things around them, such as TV shows, films, books and toys, is far more than a box-ticking exercise. It can be a minor thing which makes an incredible impact.
