The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower
The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower is a simple, voluntary symbol – usually a green lanyard decorated with yellow sunflowers – worn by people with non-visible disabilities or health conditions. It signals that the wearer may need a bit more time, understanding, or support in day-to-day interactions.
Hidden disabilities can include conditions such as autism, ADHD, dementia, chronic pain, mental health conditions, learning disabilities, hearing loss, and many others that are not immediately obvious to others. The Sunflower does not require people to disclose their diagnosis; it simply opens the door to a more thoughtful, patient response.
Originally launched at Gatwick Airport in 2016, the scheme has grown into an internationally recognised symbol used across transport, retail, healthcare, education, and workplaces.
In the UK, recognition has spread widely across sectors that rely on face-to-face interaction.
You will now see the Sunflower in:
- Major airports and airlines, railway stations and some bus networks
- Supermarkets, high street retailers, and shopping centres
- NHS hospitals, GP practices, and some private healthcare providers
- Visitor attractions, museums, sports venues, and leisure facilities
- Public bodies such as courts and tribunals, local authorities, and some central government sites
Many organisations formally join the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower membership scheme, which provides training, guidance, and resources to help staff understand how to respond when they see the symbol. That means the Sunflower is increasingly about culture change, not just a lanyard on a hook by the door.
The Sunflower team often highlight that around 1 in 5 people in the UK are disabled, and that many live with conditions that are not immediately visible. That stat alone shows why a symbol for hidden disabilities matters.
However, awareness among the general public is still uneven. People who travel frequently, work in customer-facing roles, or have a personal connection to disability are far more likely to recognise it than those who don’t. Community accounts and Sunflower partner updates repeatedly stress that, while recognition is growing, many people still either do not know what the lanyard means or assume it is a generic ID badge. A recent straw poll I conducted indicated around 50% of people were not aware of the initiative.
This gap matters. A symbol only works if:
- The person wearing it feels safe and understood.
- The people around them know how to respond.
Right now, the first is often true – the second, less so.
Why this matters to employers
For employers, the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower sits at the intersection of customer experience, employee wellbeing, and inclusive culture.
It matters because:
- It validates the experiences of colleagues with non-visible disabilities, who are often navigating environments designed for “typical” needs.
- It offers a practical cue to line managers and teammates that a person may need adjustments, without forcing them into repeated, detailed explanations.
- It signals to customers and clients that the organisation is thinking about accessibility beyond ramps and lifts.
In a tight labour market, where wellbeing and psychological safety are genuine differentiators, these signals are not cosmetic. They feed into how people judge whether a workplace is somewhere they can belong, or just somewhere they can work.
The purpose of this article is toexplore practical ways to increase awareness the Sunflower. My son, who is neuro-diverse and works for a major grocery retailer, wears the Sunflower lanyard but recently had an unpleasant experience with a customer. If we want the Sunflower to become part of everyday understanding, rather than a niche symbol recognised only by a few, employers have a key role to play. There are a number of steps organisations can take.
- Build it into induction and training
- Include a short module on hidden disabilities and the Sunflower in onboarding for all staff.
- Refresh awareness regularly for customer-facing teams, security, reception, and managers.
- Make it visible in your spaces
- Display clear, concise posters or digital signage explaining what the Sunflower means.
- Offer lanyards discreetly at reception, HR, or wellbeing points, so people can choose to use them without making a “moment” of it.
- Embed it into policies and processes
- Reference the Sunflower in accessibility policies, reasonable adjustments processes, and customer service standards.
- Ensure your complaints and feedback processes recognise that not all needs are visible.
- Communicate with customers and colleagues
- Explain the Sunflower symbol in newsletters, intranet posts, staff briefings, and customer updates.
- Share stories (with consent) from staff or customers about how the Sunflower has helped them feel seen and supported.
- Partner with experts and communities
- Consider joining the official Hidden Disabilities Sunflower programme for structured resources and training.
- Engage with disability ERGs, unions, and local advocacy groups to sense-check your approach and language.
None of these steps are complex, together they turn the Sunflower from a “nice to have” into part of how an organisation thinks about people.
The power of the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower lies in its subtlety. It doesn’t demand attention. It simply asks for a pause, a question, a bit more patience. However, its efficacy is diminished by a lack of awareness amongst the general public and it is contingent on the organisation, its partners and those who recognise the symbol in their businesses to grow what it means to a wider audience.
Equally, for leaders in HR, diversity and inclusion, customer experience, and operations, the question is not whether you recognise the Sunflower as a logo – it is whether you recognise what it represents in the lives of your people and your customers.
If your organisation uses the Sunflower, it would be great to hear how it is working in practice. What has been your experience of engaging with someone with the lanyard? Are you even aware of it?