A discreet way to make the invisible visible
Wearing the Sunflower discreetly indicates to people around the wearer including staff, colleagues and health professionals that they need additional support, help or a little more time.
A global presence
Since the Sunflower was established in the UK in 2016, it has been adopted globally by organisations to support both their colleagues and customers.
The Sunflower is now recognised across a broad range of sectors - ranging from retail, financial services, transport including airlines and airports, travel and tourism as well as over 450 universities, schools and colleges, all of the UK railway network, theme parks, supermarkets, leisure facilities, healthcare, financial services, emergency services, theatres and over 350 charities.
The Sunflower has been launched locally in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the UK, the UAE and the USA.
Businesses in countries like France, Norway and Lithuania have recently introduced the Sunflower and notably in the United Arab Emirates, the Sunflower is being used to make World Expo 2020 inclusive and accessible to all visitors.
Above all, it is used anywhere where people meet. Find out where it is known near you using our Sunflower location map
How did it all start?
By 2016, the Accessibility team at Gatwick Airport were already assisting over 500,000 passengers a year but recognised that some passengers had a non-visible disability. How could they assist them too?
Following an evaluation which included the Gatwick team, the Airport Passenger Advisory Group and local and national charities, a green lanyard with a yellow sunflower was chosen for passengers to discreetly choose to indicate they have an invisible disability and may need some support, assistance or simply a little more time when moving through the airport.
The success of the Sunflower lanyard and the positive response it has received, has increased awareness of the barriers that adults and children with invisible disabilities can face.
Why did we choose a sunflower?
Without a visual cue, it can be difficult for others to identify, acknowledge, or understand the daily barriers faced by people living with am invisible disability.
We wanted a discreet sign which was still clearly visible from a distance as well as being distinctive, joyful, and dynamic. We chose a sunflower as it suggests happiness, positivity, strength as well as growth and confidence and is universally known.