Traveling With Invisible Disabilities: The Sunflower Network
Dawn Mulford – Contributing Columnist
Everyone knows that travel can be challenging for the able-bodied, but what about travel for those that are disabled? Airlines and other travel services offer assistance in the form of ramps, wheelchairs, and extra personnel, but not much more.
What if the disability is not visible?
Today, we have medical conditions that are not obvious. Autism, PTSD, ADHD, and sensory issues are things that aren’t noticeable but can create problems for individual travelers as well as families traveling together.
There is a new network that has been established called the Sunflower Network. Launched in 2016, it brings together airlines, airports, and personnel to recognize the sunflower symbol and assist with these “hidden disabilities” that certain travelers have.
They provide a sunflower lanyard for a traveler to wear. This discreet sign allows these partners to assist (especially with clients who have limited verbal skills). The sunflower was chosen as the symbol because it suggests happiness, positivity, strength, growth, and confidence, and it is universally known.
The Sunflower Network provides a free lanyard, and they do not require you to share what your disability is. The lanyard is shipped from the United Kingdom so there might be a shipping cost, but the lanyard itself is free.
Currently, over 300 airports are part of their network worldwide. The Sunflower Network has now been launched in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Latin America, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the UK, the UAE, and the USA.
Personnel in these locations receive training on what the Sunflower Lanyard means and how to help ease the stress of traveling.
The Sunflower Network is also adding hotel chains to their participating partners and always looking for ways to improve the experience of hidden disability travelers and encourage global travel enjoyment.
Want more information? Here is their website: https://hdsunflower.com/us/hd-travels
Dawn Mulford has been in the travel industry for over 40 years—first in corporate and then leisure travel. For the last three years, she has been in the top two percent of travel agents out of 10,000 agents in the Travel Leaders Network group. Dawn has been blessed with a lifetime of travel, a fulfilling job, and the ability to work from home. She enjoys sharing her knowledge with great clients and friends.
