Hidden Disabilities Sunflower - Australia & New Zealand

🌻 Happy International Day of People with Disability! Today and every day, we celebrate the millions of Australians and New Zealanders with over 950 non-obvious disabilities. With 1 in 5 people living with a disability, we’re proud to work with organisations to promote accessibility and awareness of the Sunflower. Let’s keep building a world where everyone feels included, understood, and respected. #IDPWD2024 #HiddenDisabilitiesSunflower

💛 “There are a lot of strengths that come with it.”   For International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we spoke with our Chief Technology Officer David Wills, MIL about life with a hidden disability and his advice to his younger self.   We’re officially a Sunflower-friendly organisation, thanks to the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower - Australia & New Zealand programme. For us this means: 🌻 97% of our frontline teams are now trained to recognise a Sunflower lanyard or pin, and provide the extra support for both customers and their colleagues. 🌻 We’re working with our Neurodiversity Network Group to continue raising awareness of more than 900 hidden disabilities, and to create safe spaces for our people to connect and celebrate their unique experiences.

We’re proud to announce that Auckland One Rail has joined the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Initiative! 🌻 Congratulations to the team for their hard work in championing the Sunflower Initiative! 👏

Today is International Day of People with Disabilities (IDPWD) – a day to recognise and celebrate the incredible 1.3 billion people around the world who live with disabilities. 🌏🌻 This year’s theme, "Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future," reminds us of the importance of inclusion and the need to empower people with disabilities to take an active role in shaping a better world. Over the past year, working with the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower, I’ve been fortunate to collaborate with some amazing organisations that have joined the Sunflower Program, committed to making their businesses more accessible and inclusive for both staff and customers. I’ve been privileged to witness how small acts of understanding and kindness can make a profound difference. Whether it’s making workplaces more welcoming, raising awareness of hidden disabilities, or offering support, there is so much we can all do to ensure everyone feels seen and valued. I’ve also been inspired by countless stories of people reflecting on how they can: - Support the voices of people with disabilities in their communities. - Make simple changes in daily life to foster inclusivity. 🌟 Today, let’s take a moment to celebrate and commit to creating a brighter, more inclusive future for all. #IDPWD2024 #Hidden Disabilities Sunflower - Australia & New Zealand #InclusionForAll #KindnessCounts #SunflowerProgram

🌻 Happy International Day of People with Disability! Today and every day, we celebrate the millions of Australians and New Zealanders with over 950 non-obvious disabilities. With 1 in 5 people living with a disability, we’re proud to work with organisations to promote accessibility and awareness of the Sunflower. Let’s keep building a world where everyone feels included, understood, and respected. #IDPWD2024 #HiddenDisabilitiesSunflower

Every day is disability day for us, however we would like to take this opportunity to thank the hundreds of organisations who have joined the Sunflower program to acknowledge, understand, and include the millions of Australian and New Zealanders with over 950 non-obvious disabilities. Thank.......YOU! Justin Bruce, Director HDS Aus/NZ and the Sunflower Team

🌻🌻🌻 We are proud to announce Think Business Events have joined Hidden Disabilities Sunflower - Australia & New Zealand and become a Sunflower-friendly organisation!  The wonderful initiative supports people with disabilities that may or may not be immediately visible, such as autism, dementia, mental health issues and other chronic illnesses.  This partnership means we are able to continue providing a more welcoming, accessible and inclusive environment for all our event attendees.  We are thrilled to join several of our industry partners who are already on board with the program to further increase the support being offered across the business events industry, both in Australia and abroad. Our sunflowers will begin rolling out in 2025. We encourage you all to find out more about the work of the Sunflower here: https://lnkd.in/g-b_SiKP #makingtheinvisiblevisible #wearthesunflower #hiddendisabilities #inclusion #BeKind 

🚊🌻 As we enter the final week of our Sunflower tram’s journey across Melbourne, we want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Yarra Trams and the talented team at Blend Creative for bringing this magnificent design to life. Tram #3033 has been traveling along routes 48 and 109, spreading awareness about hidden disabilities and inclusivity throughout the city. It’s been amazing to see the tram spark conversations and raise awareness all around Melbourne. 👏 #SunflowerTram #HiddenDisabilitiesSunflower

South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service proudly showcased their Sunflower-wrapped fire truck in this year’s 92nd National Pharmacies Christmas Pageant! A huge thank you to South Australia Tourism Council and The Office of Autism SA for their dedication to spreading awareness for Hidden Disabilities. 🌻

🌻 In New Zealand, the Sunflower lanyard is making a real difference for people with hidden disabilities. It’s helping Kiwis like Eliot Forrest access support in airports, hospitals, and communities—without needing to explain their conditions.