have you ever seen one of these and wondered what it was for i'm serena and i'm going to explain a little bit more about the hidden disability sunflower or the sunflower lanyard scheme the sunflower lanyard scheme started over four years ago in 2016 by staff at gatwick airport they recognized how difficult it can be for those with hidden disabilities to obtain assistance making travel much more difficult or inaccessible altogether to work towards combating this staff at gatwick teamed up with local and national charities to design a discreet lanyard as it became more popular gatwick gave
permission for anyone and everyone to use the scheme and now it's used by hundreds of thousands of individuals many people think the scheme came about because of coronavirus as many people now wear them to signify that they can't wear a face covering due to health or disability reasons or to indicate that they might need a little bit more space because of their vulnerability to the virus but that's just one usage of many the lanyard can be worn by anybody with a disability illness and or chronic condition who feels like they might benefit it can be
acquired for free at most major supermarkets or it can be bought online for a small fee there is no need to disclose your condition wearing one merely signifies that one might need a little extra help patience or understanding its creators emphasize one ethos above all that of kindness i wear one because i'm autistic and type 1 diabetic it's helpful for my autism because over the years i've learned to mask my autistic traits so those who don't know me often think i'm neurotypical when i start acting in unexpected ways for example pacing fidgeting or losing speech
i don't have to worry about how i come across when i'm wearing my lanyard i worry less about seeming rude or uncooperative and i can focus more on getting to a place of comfort or safety the lanyard is also helpful for my diabetes because if my blood glucose drops and i start losing consciousness people might recognize that i have a chronic condition this would make them more inclined to check the emergency contact information on my phone or to check the card in my purse that tells them that i'm diabetic while the sunflower lanyard scheme is
gaining momentum every day we still have a long way to go to ensure full accessibility for disabled people a big step towards this is removing the stigma associated with conditions of all kinds i'm open about my disabilities but i understand that not everyone is in a position to be i once spoke to a guy my age who said he wouldn't wear a lanyard because he was worried that his friends might mock or judge him i've seen workplaces implementing the lanyard scheme without following through with training so no staff members are aware of its purpose i've
also of course seen many instances of it not being used at all on the flip side of this i haven't yet approached a company business or organization who haven't been enthusiastic about embracing the scheme once i've suggested it my best experience while wearing a sunflower lanyard was receiving a beaming smile by a parent of a young child who was wearing one in a busy shopping center i interpreted this as a nod to solidarity and community so what can you do to help ensure the success of the scheme you can raise awareness on your social media
platforms share videos like this one and tell your friends and family about its purpose if you see someone wearing one give them time patience and understanding ask your workplace to start using them if they haven't already they'll probably be enthusiastic and above all be kind
