Page 32 - Tom Steyer Issue

Mona is very happy with her wheelchair. Only one barrier was left: a small stair at the main entrance of her home. Christina and Fabian agreed that the regular ramps covered by their insurance would suffice, but aren’t too fun or special for a small child. Remembering Rita from articles the family read, they decided to build their own ramp with Lego Duplo. And... they failed.
Today, Rita’s wheelchair ramps are a tourist attraction. Rita was told that some people only visit certain businesses in Hanau to get a glimpse of her creative work. “Teenagers lie next to ramps and take pictures for Instagram,” she says.
Elsa and Olav
Not only wheelchair users benefit from these ramps
Christina called Rita, who immediately had an idea: She could use the Lego pieces that had been collected for her projects by childcare facilities in Hanau for Mona’s ramp. Mona’s parents initiated additional donations in their hometown, Lünen. And soon after, an excited Mona and her crying mom placed the Frozen-themed ramp, which features Elsa, the ice queen, and Olav, her cute companion snowman, in front of the entrance stair. Rita personally delivered the ramp to the family who lives 2.5 hours away to make sure the ramp has the correct height and size, and of course, it fit perfectly. “Rita and Mona had an instant connection. Mona baked a cake for Rita, and they both tried out the ramp multiple times together,” Christina says. “Mona is so proud of her new ramp because everyone who sees it tells her how cool it looks,” Fabian adds. And the whole project had a significant side effect too. Rita and Mona have raised awareness for varying disabilities, and therefore, Mona’s kindergarten discusses disabilities and specifically the use of a wheelchair more with the other children, which makes Mona feel included.
Yes, the ramps make businesses accessible for people using wheelchairs, but they also support mothers pushing strollers or people using assistive devices to walk. Another positive effect of Rita’s colorful design is that people with visual impairments can see the ramps from a distance and therefore know there is a stair.
The sweets shop
According to Rita, her ramps can’t be officially classified as wheelchair ramps in Germany because laws only allow a six percent inclination. “This would mean that if the ramp has to overcome a 15-centimeter step, it could be a few meters long, and that’s often not possible because the sidewalk doesn’t offer enough space. So, our ramps don’t qualify as wheelchair ramps, but all city officials support our work and don’t complain.” It is a balancing act between what Rita is allowed to do versus what the businesses need in order to be accessible for everyone. “But in the end, the wheelchair-users don’t care much about regulations if the ramp allows them to independently enter and exit the shop,” Rita adds.
Rita’s creativity doesn’t have any limits. She always comes up with a new idea, and now people from all over Germany contact her to get one of her masterpieces. “In Hanau, we have this amazing sweets store, and I have always thought to myself, ‘I wish there wasn’t this annoying stair.’ On Valentine’s Day, I stood in front of the large shop window, wanting to buy some sweets for my husband when the owner approached me and told me she was happy to help me in,” Rita explained, “I said that if she had a ramp, I would come much more often.”
A ‘Hingucker’
The business owner excitedly told Rita about this woman she saw in the press who builds Lego ramps for Hanau’s businesses and that she really needs to get in touch with her. Rita smiled. A few months later, the gummy bear store is embellished by a two-part ramp with a large red bear and a yellow bear on the top of the ramp.
Rita calls her ramps a “Hingucker,” the German translation of an eye-catcher. In fact, they are much more than that. “They get the people to actually think about accessibility,” she says. Due to the uniqueness of every single ramp, people don’t simply walk by. They stop, take a picture and start reflecting on the importance of Rita’s work. Rita’s ramps overcome stairs and therefore allow wheelchair-users to independently move around. But more importantly, they also challenge non-disabled people to think about accessibility and conquer misconceptions.
Every ramp is a piece of art
As of May 2020, Rita finished her 20th ramp, which was requested by a law office with the ‘strict condition’ that Rita reached into the Lego box without paying attention to any color scheme. And the grandma isn’t afraid of challenges either. Ramp number 21 will, for the first time, cover the height of two stairs. And this is just the beginning. Rita has no intention to stop making Germany a little bit more accessible—one ramp at a time.
Rita’s ramps are rarely just colorful. Almost all of them show a motive reflecting the history of the specific spot they are placed in. “A young mother who volunteers for me and sorts the Lego pieces by size had the idea we could include fairy tale figures into our ramps since Hanau is known for the popular fairy tale authors, the Brothers Grimm. They created a variety of different fairy tale designs; for example, one of her ramps is placed in front of a hair stylist’s entrance and shows the Frog Prince sitting on the edge of a well with a golden pearl.
*All quotes are translated from German
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by Karina Ulrike Sturm
The ramps aren’t classified as official wheelchair ramps
32 ABILITY