Hidden Disabilities Sunflower

Making every day life more accessible for everyone

What’s it all about?

We are working with a number of the GDA member charities and the States Disability Officer to identify how we can improve the shopping, eating out, travelling and overall Guernsey experience for islanders and visitors with hidden disabilities.

If this applies to you or someone you’re out or travelling with, we can offer you a the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower lanyard to wear whilst you are out and about.

If you are wearing the lanyard, staff (and others including the police and constables) should recognise it and understand that you have a hidden disability and that you may need a little extra help or time. However, they will not know what your particular disability is, or what challenges and issues you may face. If you have specific requirements, please ask a member of staff for help.

Businesses 

Find out more on the UK Hidden Disabilities store website

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The history of the lanyard

The Hidden Disabilities lanyards started as a scheme in Gatwick Airport to improve the airport experience for their vulnerable passengers who may not want to share details of their hidden disabilities. The idea was that if people were wearing the lanyard staff should recognise it and understand that people have a hidden disability and that they may need a little extra help or time.

Find out more on the UK Hidden Disabilities website 

How do I know which shops and members of staff have done the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower training?

Shops and venues

Businesses, services and community groups that have completed the Hidden Disabilities scheme training will be displaying the window or desk sticker. They currently include:

  • Guernsey Airport

  • A number of Co-Op stores

  • Guilles-Alles Library

  • Boots (High Street and St Sampsons)

  • Sure

  • The Police

Businesses

For Business support please join the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Scheme (UK). They are dedicated to helping businesses identify their colleagues and customers with a hidden disability and become confident to provide them with additional help or assistance. This could simply mean giving them more time to prepare or process information, using clear verbal language or allowing them to remain with their families at all times.

These companies have all taken the accessibility training

Our Hidden Disabilities training outlines the lanyard scheme and how it came about, draws on the hints and tips from GDA member charities (including Autism, Dementia, Mind), how simple changes can be made.

If you would like to find out more or ask about training please contact us on karen@matter.gg

More information

Rolling out the Hidden Disabilities, sunflower scheme wider than the airport and Co-Op, is a fairly new concept that came about during the Accessible Town project planning 2019. We are open to ideas on how to improve the scheme wherever possible. As we are registered charities (Access for All and We All Matter Eh? (GDA)) we will require funding to roll it out further and would welcome discussions with businesses and funders. Please email us through karen@matter.gg