The Sunflower Lanyard, 10 years on: How the travel industry is supporting neurodivergent travellers

In most cases, airports act as gateways to the world, promising adventure and new horizons to explore. But, for many neurodivergent travellers, they can often feel like barriers instead.

An estimated one in every seven people in the UK today is neurodivergent – including myself. I’m well acquainted with the challenges our community faces when travelling, both from my own lived experience and through research for a book I’ve written on neuro-inclusive travel.

So too is Nathan Reuby, father to an autistic child and founder of NeuroPlaces, an organisation reimagining how public places serve neurodivergent people. I asked him about his thoughts on how airports cater to Disabled travellers. He notes that airports are already stress-inducing environments for neurotypical travellers, let alone those with additional support needs. “Neurodivergent folk experience significantly higher stress levels in busy, unpredictable and sensory-intense environments,” he explains. “This often leads to a deregulated nervous system, meltdowns or avoidance of airports altogether.”

This experience is something that I can certainly attest to – sensory overwhelm is a significant struggle for me. But one thing that has helped me grapple with this barrier is the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower [HDS] lanyard.

Since its launch in 2016, “making the invisible, visible” has been the primary goal of the lanyard. It was designed to provide a visual cue to airport and airline staff that passengers wearing it might require extra assistance and a little more time to cope with the challenges the airport environment presents. First introduced at London Gatwick Airport, in partnership with OCS, the scheme was groundbreaking for its time. Now, it’s been nearly a decade since the Sunflower Lanyard first launched. Below, we examine the experiences of Disabled travellers with the initiative and explore how the wider travel industry is working to make aviation a safer and more enjoyable experience for neurodivergent travellers.

Does the Sunflower Lanyard actually help neurodivergent travellers?

“The response from the Disabled community was immediate and overwhelmingly positive,” shares Annette Cmela, chief brand officer at Hidden Disabilities Sunflower. “Because it is voluntary, with no obligation to share personal details, the Sunflower empowers people with non-visible disabilities [to travel].” This in itself is an alluring proposition – dignity should not require disclosure, so the promise of support without the need to divulge personal medical information is an attractive one. But even more alluring than that are the commitments made by organisations that adopt the lanyard, with dedicated training for staff to understand and become aware of non-visible disabilities and to respond with empathy and understanding.

There were, naturally, concerns as to whether corporate commitment would actually translate to guest experience. At London Luton Airport, it seemed that the airport has been awarded several accolades for its efforts to aid the experience of Disabled travellers, which includes launching Accessibility Familiarisation Days and investing in a new Assisted Travel lounge. Similarly, London Gatwick has continued to lead the way in accessibility provision as well, recognised by the National Autistic Society for its innovative approach and launching “a dedicated training module for all colleagues, aligned with our Accessibility Strategy, to better assist all passengers with additional needs throughout their journey,” according to Nick Williams, head of passenger operations at the airport.