LEGO Group Unveils Long-Term Initiatives for Autism Acceptance Month

LEGO Group Unveils Long-Term Initiatives for Autism Acceptance Month

(IN BRIEF) In recognition of Autism Acceptance Month, the LEGO Group, along with LEGO House and the LEGO Foundation, announces a series of initiatives aimed at supporting neurodivergent children and adults. These initiatives include KultureCity® Sensory Inclusive™ Certification for LEGO stores, updates to LEGO Life Magazine for enhanced inclusivity, the final winners of the Play for All Accelerator Programme by the LEGO Foundation, and a series of short films featuring autistic creators titled “Love the Way You Think.” These efforts demonstrate the commitment of the LEGO Group to fostering inclusivity and celebrating the diverse needs and strengths of all fans globally.

(PRESS RELEASE) BILLUND, 3-Apr-2024 — /EuropaWire/ — The LEGO Group, LEGO House and the LEGO Foundation announce a range of long-term initiatives designed to support and celebrate neurodivergent children and adults to mark the start of World Autism Acceptance Month.

Colette Burke, Chief Commercial Officer at the LEGO Group, comments:
“All LEGO® entities are united by our mission to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow and a belief that the benefits of play are equally critical to all children. This fuels our exploration of how to make the LEGO experience more inclusive and welcoming for everyone.“

“We know the LEGO System in Play is enjoyed by neurodivergent fans of all ages and we want to support, inspire, and celebrate their creativity. We hope that the changes to our stores, publications and family attractions will have a positive impact and help embrace the diverse needs and strengths of our fans globally. There will always be more to do, and we’re committed to working with fans and experts to implement initiatives that can help make a difference in building a more inclusive world.”

Sensory inclusion at LEGO House and LEGO stores
KultureCity is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing accessibility in public spaces for individuals with sensory needs and non-visible disabilities. It certifies locations that provide visitors with an inclusive experience through staff training and access to support tools.

The certification serves as a reassurance to visitors that staff at certified venues understand how sensory needs vary and how best they can help ensure everyone feels welcome and supported in their visit. It also means that sensory bags are always available to checkout at no cost during visits. These contain items such as noise reducing headphones, fidget tools, visual cue cards, KultureCity branded lanyards and strobe reduction glasses*.

• All LEGO stores in the U.S. and Canada will be KultureCity® Sensory Inclusive™ Certified in April. The ambition is to to expand certification to more countries later in the year.
• LEGO House already carries KultureCity Sensory Inclusive Certification. Located in Billund, Denmark, LEGO House is the ultimate LEGO fan experience and home of the LEGO brick and features unique Experience Zones, rooftop playgrounds and a LEGO Museum. It is the first experience centre in the Nordics to receive KultureCity certification. It also participates in the globally-recognised Sunflower Lanyard scheme** for people with hidden disabilities. In January, LEGO House unveiled a new experience in the History Collection, which features an interactive timeline with animations supported by audio, braille, International Sign and tangible wooden models to increase accessibility.

KultureCity signage indicating the Sensory Inclusive Certification will be visible at each location once team training is complete and supportive sensory bags are available. Social stories will be available on the KultureCity app to help guests prepare for their visit.

Fan reflections
Isabella age 11 and autistic reflected on the changes and what they mean to her:
“When I’m in a crowded place or noisy area, I feel nervous. The [noise reducing] headphones really help well because it just cancels out most loud noises. It gives me a little bit less stress. If there’s someone really close to me and I feel like I’m really nervous, I’ll just pop a fidget out and just play with it to calm myself down.”

“I like having [noise reducing] headphones and fidgets in the LEGO store because it’s just going to make me feel really more welcome.”

Samantha, mum to Isabella said about the certification:
“When I heard about this project, I just beamed. I was so excited. I’ve been waiting for this - to just be able to go to the store, where the employees understand, and the store is ready for my child. It’s exciting. Having KultureCity involved gives me so much confidence that my child will enjoy the experience and the sensory bags will make us come to the store more often.”

Sean, autistic AFOL (Adult Fan of LEGO play) also commented:
“To have sensory bags in a LEGO store when I was a kid would’ve changed my whole perspective on the communities I could be a part of.”

“Being able to experience the LEGO store at my own pace would have allowed me to connect to so many other people and LEGO fans, and truly feel like I belong. This move will allow for people like me, a full-grown adult, to experience everything the store has to offer and let children visiting the store have their own perspective on their own lives changed in a positive way. That’s something that can’t be replaced.”

To learn more about the KultureCity certification and how it can support families visiting LEGO House or a sensory inclusive certified LEGO store, view this video

New features to LEGO Life Magazine for more inclusive play
The LEGO Group invited inclusion experts Special Networks to audit its LEGO Life magazine to understand how to make it more welcoming for neurodivergent readers. Special Networks reviewed two years’ worth of editions and praised the magazine’s clear language, diverse representation, and user-friendly layouts. However, they proposed a range of improvements that have been included in the latest edition (Issue 2 2024) and will continue to feature in future editions.

These include:

• Numbering the boxes used in cartoons to make them easier to follow.
• Ensuring consistent and meaningful use of visual simples.
• Planning content to suit varied abilities and interests.
• Having consistency in placement of useful items, such as prompts for activity answers.

Special Networks will expand its audit in 2024 and ask children and families to share their ideas on how to make the publication even more accessible. A summary of initial audit learnings is available here.

Download a copy of the magazine and sign up for news on the survey via the family newsletter at www.LEGO.com/magazine***.

‘Love the Way You Think’ Creators
A series of short films featuring autistic creators has been released on the LEGO Group’s YouTube channel. Called Love the Way You Think, the films showcase the creative talents of:

• Casey “Remrov” Vormer, a pencil artist in Canada who creates hyper-realistic drawings.
• Gaku, an artist and painter in Japan who creates super colourful and joyful works of art.
• Allyson Gail, a U.S. LEGO creator who builds LEGO models of food – with faces! Allyson is also featured in the latest edition of LEGO Life magazine sharing her tips on how she loves to build (page 24 Issue 2 2024). She is the first in a new series of creators who will share their love for building with LEGO Life magazine readers.

All three creators also appear now on the kid-safe LEGO Life App and on kids.lego.com.

LEGO Foundation Play for All Accelerator Winners
The LEGO Foundation’s Play for All Accelerator Programme is a three-phased programme aimed to support innovations that bring inclusive learning through play to neurodivergent children and their families. The US$ 20 million programme started with 25 organizations and today the LEGO Foundation announces the five organizations**** that have been selected for the final phase to become partners for two to three years.

They are:

• Social Cipher: A video game-based platform that uses the power of story to facilitate social-emotional learning and increase sense of belonging for neurodivergent youth ($1.9M USD grant).
• Kokoro Kids: An early learning platform for children to develop cognitive and emotional skills through play ($2.25M USD grant).
• Mom’s Belief: A holistic care provider for neurodivergent children that provides Individual Educational Plans and physical play-based toolkits ($2.03M USD grant).
• onebillion: A nonprofit publisher of adaptive literacy and numeracy software for marginalised children (£1.9M GBP grant).
• Little Journey: A mobile app designed to reduce the anxiety experienced by children and families before, during, and after healthcare interactions (£2.09M GBP grant).

The Play for All Accelerator programme builds on the LEGO Foundation’s existing work to support autistic children through programmes promoting learning through play. In 2021, it announced support for a social initiative called Brick-by Brick programme, which helps uplift children and young people who may benefit from social communication support to boost their emotional wellbeing. Set up by Play Included the initiative brings children and young people together to socialize, play and build in groups.

Click here for more information.

Use of language: We use identity-first language (autistic child) rather than person-first language (child with autism) to discuss autistic people. We acknowledge that there is no clear consensus globally within the autism community, and many views have yet to be researched, regarding preferred language and there are those who prefer person-first language (Dwyer, 2022).

Identity-first language seeks to move away from language that can pathologize neurological difference (Botha, Hanlon & Williams 2021). It instead recognises autism as a core part of someone’s identity. Regionally, where it is known, the preferred terminology of autistic people should always be used, which may include using person-first language such as “person on the autism spectrum” or a mixture of identity-first and person-first language.

(*) The KultureCity sensory bags can be used by all ages and abilities, and include:

• Noise-reducing headphones: To help reduce environmental noise for anyone experiencing auditory sensitivity.
• Fidget tools: To help regulate feelings and support stimming (tools include wacky track snap, jelly string noodle and marble mesh)
• Visual Cue Cards: To support communication.
• KultureCity Lanyard: That can be worn to inform staff of sensory needs.
• Strobe-Reduction glasses: To make lights appear less bright and calmer for anyone experiencing visual sensitivity.

(**) KultureCity sensory bags at LEGO House: currently don’t include the KultureCity Lanyard or Strobe-Reduction glasses.

Instead of the KultureCity lanyard, visitors have access to the Sunflower Lanyard, which is a globally recognised scheme where individuals with hidden disabilities can indicate that they may need additional support or understanding in public settings. By wearing the lanyard, individuals signal to staff and others that they may require assistance, patience, or accommodations.

(***) LEGO Life magazine is available in select markets: US, Canada, Mexico, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea

(****) LEGO Foundation’s Play for All Accelerator Programme winner’s grant use:

• Social Cipher: $1.9 million USD grant – to help make content more accessible to children and professionals to enhance children’s engagement, as well as creating a full years’ worth of SEL content that will support children’s development.
• Kokoro Kids: $2.25 million USD grant – to expand learning through play activities for neurodivergent children, focusing on holistic skill development, wellbeing and inclusion.
• Mom’s Belief: $2.03 million USD grant – to help expand impactful services reaching children and families in India, USA, Vietnam, and United Arab Emirates.
• onebillion: £1.9 million GBP grant – to accelerate the development of new activities, which is projected to deliver up to one years’ worth of learning content for children, benefiting over 450,000 neurodivergent children.
• Little Journey: £2.09 million GBP grant – to develop a Learning through Play-focused digital health passport with a module for clinicians, displaying children’s needs and preferences next to their electronic health records, allowing conditions to decrease stress, enable agency, and increase a sense of belonging.

About KultureCity
KultureCity®, established in 2014, is a dynamic non-profit organization at the forefront of the inclusivity movement which continues to make waves in creating a more accessible and accepting world for individuals with sensory needs and non-visible disabilities (found in 1 in 4 of us).

In a short 10 years, a few highlights of KultureCity’s impact includes making over 1,800 venues sensory inclusive certified, handing out almost a million sensory bags to individuals, making over 150 live events sensory inclusive, and saving 48 lives through the KultureCity® First Responder Training. KultureCity’s commitment to inclusivity extends beyond physical spaces. The organization actively collaborates with influential figures, businesses, and communities to promote awareness and understanding of non-visible disabilities. KultureCity® partners with event industry leaders like NFL, NBA, MLB and FIFA to make their flagship events sensory inclusive. With ongoing initiatives, partnerships, and a passionate community of supporters, KultureCity® is set to leave an enduring impact on the landscape of inclusivity.

About Special Networks
Special Networks is a pioneering, multidisciplinary organisation dedicated to fostering a sense of belonging for everyone. With a core focus on neurodiversity, our team combines lived and learned experiences to deliver innovative solutions across four main areas: Therapy, Consultancy, Research, and Training. Our services, ranging from inclusive strategy development and neuroaffirmative therapy to data-driven research and bespoke training programs, are underpinned by our ethos of Care, Commit, and Connect. We engage in intentional collaboration and co-production, embracing diverse perspectives and applying systems thinking to develop holistic, sustainable solutions. Our mission-driven approach, rooted in our belief in the unity of diversity and inclusion by design, guides us in creating a world where every individual’s inherent variability is understood and celebrated.

About the LEGO Group
The LEGO Group’s mission is to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow through the power of play. The LEGO System in Play, with its foundation in LEGO bricks, allows children and fans to build and rebuild anything they can imagine.

The LEGO Group was founded in Billund, Denmark in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen, its name derived from the two Danish words Leg Godt, which mean “Play Well”.

Today, the LEGO Group remains a family-owned company headquartered in Billund. Its products are now sold in more than 120 countries worldwide. For more information: www.LEGO.com.

About LEGO House
LEGO® House, situated in the hometown of the LEGO Group in Billund, Denmark, is the ultimate LEGO experience – anything is possible here. Comprising of over 25 million LEGO bricks, four one-of-a-kind Experience Zones, nine rooftop playgrounds, and a unique LEGO Museum, LEGO House reinforces the importance of the five key skills that are developed when learning through play – physical, social, emotional, cognitive and creative skills.

Designed to allow LEGO lovers of all ages to unleash their creativity, LEGO House is home to some of the world’s largest LEGO models including giant dinosaurs, waterfalls, and the Tree of Creativity, providing plenty of inspiration for any fan’s next masterpiece.

About the LEGO Foundation
The LEGO Foundation aims to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow; a mission that it shares with the LEGO Group. The LEGO Foundation is dedicated to building a future where learning through play empowers children to become creative, engaged, lifelong learners. Its work is about re-defining play and re-imagining learning. In collaboration with thought leaders, influencers, educators and parents the LEGO Foundation aims to equip, inspire and activate champions for play. www.learningthroughplay.com.

Media Contact:

media@LEGO.com

SOURCE: LEGO System A/S