You belong with me: our sunflower lanyard experience
One of the highlights of this year was our trip to see Taylor Swift, and the Sunflower lanyard helped us shake off our travel stress.
My 14-year-old daughter has cerebral palsy, which isn’t a condition that first springs to mind when you think of the term hidden disability. Alex* doesn’t use mobility aids and this ‘hides’ her physical disability somewhat. She does have an unconventional walking gait, but it’s her fine motor skills and speech which are the most impacted by her diagnosis. Polymicrogyria, the condition underlying Alex’s CP, also leads to a profound speech and language disorder, making her speech mostly unintelligible and slowing her receptive language and processing ability. So, it’s not immediately obvious that Alex needs accommodations because of her disability until you spend a little time in her company.
When she was younger, I didn’t worry too much about how people perceived or treated her in public. People generally make allowances for young kids ‘just being kids’ if they can’t do something or don’t respond to questions or engage in conversation. But now at 14, there’s an expectation that Alex can do a lot more for, and by, herself, and also converse at a somewhat ‘adult’ level – the same as her neurotypical peers would be doing.
For this reason, I was a little stressed about traveling alone with her from Brisbane to Sydney earlier this year to see Taylor Swift in concert. Once I’d got over the joy of scoring tickets and started to think about the logistics of it all, a lightbulb went off in my head – why not make use of the Hidden Disability Lanyard?!
Since 2016, millions of sunflower products have been distributed globally to people with ‘hidden disabilities’. Wearing the Sunflower icon, discreetly indicates to staff, colleagues and health professionals that the wearer (or support person with them) has a hidden disability and may need additional help or simply more time.
Thousands of organisations have joined the program across major airports, shopping centres, sporting venues, cultural institutes, retail outlets and more. I knew that both Sydney and Brisbane airports were part of the program, so I filled out a form on the Brisbane airport website, and Alex and I got ready to give it a go.
And I’m so glad we did.
The whole experience at both airports was just so much more relaxing and considerate – for both me and Alex. The staff immediately recognised the Sunflower lanyard and offered assistance without Alex being put under pressure to answer any quick-fire questions or me needing to step in to explain anything. The interactions with Alex were slower, and more considered, allowing her more processing time alongside checking in with me if that’s what was needed.
Two airport spots that always stress me out – security and boarding were particular ‘highlights’.
At Sydney’s security checkpoint, it was immediately recognised that Alex would have trouble holding her body in the correct position for the new body scanner machine (where you have to match your limbs to the cutout ‘body’) and we were offered an alternative route through screening. Alex wanted to give the scanner a go and the staff were happy to wait while she tried to get her angles right before taking the alternative option.
Then, at the boarding gate, Alex wanted to scan her own boarding pass on her phone, which she absolutely should be allowed to do. Any other time, I would have felt the need to apologise on her behalf (a habit I am aware I need to quit) as she needs more time to open her phone and swipe it across boarding pass scanner due to her fine motor issues. But on this occasion, it felt like everyone (staff and other passengers) were aware that she may need more time, and she was able to complete the task at her own pace, and successfully.
Throughout the entire airport experience, instead of feeling like we were struggling to keep up, it felt like we had allies – people who understood our situation without needing an explanation.
And it wasn’t just the airport staff who noticed the lanyard – it felt like fellow travellers were more patient and more understanding too.
I kept thinking about how much the Sunflower lanyard was changing our experience. It wasn’t just the practical help – though that was a lifesaver – but it was the kindness and understanding that came with it. I didn’t have to keep explaining Alex’s condition on her behalf, and Alex was not judged or rushed – instead she was helped to be as independent as she wanted to be, in her own time, and in her own way.
Traveling with a disabled child or young adult is never going to be simple, but the Sunflower lanyard gave us the support we needed to make it manageable.
Alex also wore the lanyard to the concert, but this part of the trip is a bit of a blur of sequins, smiles and friendship bracelets. I’m not sure if many accommodations were in fact needed at this point- we were too busy belting out the bridge to Cruel Summer!
*Alex has given her full consent for me to share this story and her photos
For more insights and advice on hidden disability check out the Source Summer ’24 edition – it’s FREE to read online right here.
