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Fostering inclusion and overcoming barriers brick by brick 

30 Dec 2025

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Dr Patrick Yue, Senior Lecturer of the Department of Biology; Mr Andrew Ho, Director of the Centre for Innovative Service-Learning; and Wheel for Oneness volunteers measure a 25.4 metre toy brick wheelchair ramp that set a world record for the world’s widest toy brick wheelchair ramp.
HKBU students partnered with over 400 kindergarten, primary, secondary and special school students, volunteers, corporate representatives and government officials to build a toy brick wheelchair ramp.
Dr Patrick Yue helps a wheelchair user try out the toy brick wheelchair ramp.

Fostering inclusion for people with disabilities while connecting communities has never been more meaningful or fun than when done creatively and ingeniously, through toy bricks! Dr Patrick Yue, Senior Lecturer of the Department of Biology, together with TriAngle at the Centre for Innovative Service-Learning, led students in collaboration with a community partner to create the world’s widest toy brick wheelchair ramp, setting a world record related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) while infusing a vibrant,  inclusive energy into the community.

A cross-sector inclusion initiative

The toy brick wheelchair ramp originated from Ms Rita Ebel, a German native who advocates for accessibility and inclusion through building wheelchair ramps with toy bricks. Partnering with Wheel for Oneness, HKBU brought this creativity to Hong Kong, hosting the “SDG World Record: Widest Toy Brick Wheelchair Ramp” on HKBU campus on 14 November. Over 400 volunteers and students from HKBU and 17 local schools assembled to build a 25.4-metre-wide ramp, setting the record for the “world’s widest toy brick wheelchair ramp” and infusing SDGs with innovative practice. Mr Oliver Bräuner, Deputy Consul-General of the German Consulate General Hong Kong, and Miss Ingrid Wong Si-Tsai, Assistant District Officer (Yau Tsim Mong), Home Affairs Department of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, attended in person, while Ms Ebel joined online to share and witness the achievement.

A building block for innovative learning experiences for social good

After six months of preparation including multiple workshops and the Oneness International Summit 2025—from understanding wheelchair users’ real needs and ramp safety design to on-site coordination, HKBU students worked side by side with participants of all ages. Through this innovative learning exercise, they were able to experience first-hand the science and humanity of a barrier-free design and how this contributes to sustainable development. One student shares: “I never realised a single step could pose such a huge barrier for wheelchair users. When I was building the ramp myself, I can feel the power of small actions accumulating to make a difference.”

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The world record for the widest toy brick wheelchair ramp has been set.

 

From world record to lasting impact in community

Beyond its cross-sector world record, the challenge was also a vessel of love for the community. The completed ramps will be donated to about 50 shops and restaurants, creating more inclusive spaces where wheelchair users can access easily, thus improving their daily lives.

Dr Yue concludes: “This world record proves inclusion is more than just a slogan, and can be put into action in our daily lives. Through creative learning and building ramps from toy bricks, students understood the true meaning of sustainability and learned how to transform SDGs into tangible change within their communities.”

Deepening sustainability education

This unique and collaborative “giant brick-building” learning initiative enhanced inclusive environments and supported SDGs through creative action. Additionally, the HKBU Human Resources Office and the Centre for Innovative Service-Learning co-hosted the event SDGs Day@HKBU on campus from 20-21 November, through a bazaar, workshops and Q&A sessions to deepen faculty and students’ understanding of SDGs and their implementation.