Millions of Australians have non-visible disabilities. A sunflower-themed initiative is aiming to make day-to-day activities easier and more inclusive experiences for them.
Whenever Isabella Fantasia leaves her house, she takes her "autism survival kit" with her. "Entering the outside world is very overwhelming and can be quite stressful because I have to take into consideration sensory components like noise, smells, fabrics, anything I touch, things being too bright," the Melbourne-based disability and youth advocate says.
Without it, Isabella, who is neurodivergent and has learning and psychosocial disabilities, feels "very stressed" and underprepared for what the day might throw at her. "I've got everything from noise-cancelling headphones, a battery pack in case my phone dies, I've got my medication with me in case I forgot to take my meds, or if I need Nurofen, that's with me, then I've got sunglasses, I've got tissues, other bits and pieces, fidget toys," she says.Isabella Fantasia has multiple hidden disabilities.An important addition to the Greek-Australian's kit is her Hidden Disabilities Sunflower lanyard, which she says has made her feel "more comfortable" in public spaces."I've kind of grown up very much in this heavy culture of misunderstanding or being ashamed of being disabled … so for me the Sunflower meant that I could identify as that, but not have to necessarily always tell people," she says. Attached to Isabella's lanyard, which she's decorated with pronoun and queer pride badges, are two cards., while the other lists her name, phone number and emergency contacts. "In case I do have a meltdown or I do become non-verbal, I can just point to my lanyard, pull the card out, and give it to someone if they're unsure of what's going on with me," she says.The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program originated in 2016 at London's Gatwick Airport as a way to better identify, support, and provide assistance to people with non-visible disabilities. "They came up with the Sunflower concept as a way of utilising an icon that was bright, happy, positive, colourful, easily visible, and supported the idea of positive community support," Justin Bruce, general manager of Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Australia and New Zealand, says. After being successfully tested throughout Gatwick, the program was rolled out across other airports, transport networks, shopping centres, and entertainment, cultural, and sporting venues all over the United Kingdom. Three years ago, it launched in Australia and New Zealand, in partnership with Melbourne disability support provider Bayley House. "The clients at Bayley House, who are adults with intellectual disabilities, as part of their skill development and sometimes vocational development programs, are learning how to pack and fulfill the orders and are heavily involved in it and love the work that they're doing," he says. Justin Bruce is the general manager of the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program for Australia and New Zealand.Bruce says one in five Australians have one or more disabilities, around 85 per cent of which are non-visible."I think that means that everybody's connected to somebody with a non-visible disability, and all of us, because it's an ageing population, will have some requirements at some stage."that can impact people's day-to-day activities, the type of support Sunflower-wearers receive will be dependent on their individual needs, Bruce says. "We try our best with our training to empower and enable those staff to approach someone wearing it to say, 'How can I help you?'," he says.Heartbreak High actor Chloé Hayden has put a spotlight on sensory rooms. Here's why they're important For someone who struggles to stand for long periods of time, they might be provided with a seat or fast-tracked through a queue, Bruce says. "I think, also, sometimes just to be acknowledged, just to have the confidence to know that they can pass through a venue or facility or service and have the support if they need it, is sufficient," he says. "We hear stories of people who previously wouldn't go to an event or a venue or even go to a shop because they were overwhelmed by the environment, but now they feel more confident because they know it's Sunflower-friendly."Support for the Sunflower has been "spreading rapidly", with
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