Hidden Disabilities Sunflower training and lanyards to support inclusive and accessible environments at the University.
In Australia, 5 million people (one in five) live with disability, with an estimated 80% of those living with a non-visible disability. Experiences of non-visible disability are diverse and so are the everyday accessibility needs of our students, staff and visitors at UNSW.
The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower initiative provides a simple, globally recognised symbol for people with non-visible disabilities to voluntarily share that they have a disability or condition that may not be immediately apparent.
The initiative aims to make non-visible disabilities visible through the use of the sunflower image on lanyards or badges. By wearing the green sunflower lanyard, people with non-visible disabilities can let others know that they may need extra help, understanding or more time.
In 2022, UNSW Paddington became the first university campus in Australia to roll out the Hidden Disabilities awareness training.
Dr Scott Brown, Director of Sector Engagement (Health), UNSW Arts, Design & Architecture said, “Wearing the sunflower, whether a lanyard or supporter badge, makes a difference in the lives of people with hidden disabilities by improving accessibility, removing barriers to understanding, and building confidence in public spaces.
“Around 60% of UNSW Paddington staff took up the training and chose to wear Sunflower Supporter badges in the University’s pilot, to signal their awareness to other staff, students and campus visitors.
“The uptake was particularly strong in front-facing areas of campus, such as the library, making spaces and at Arc. We have heard that this resulted in more students with disability feeling comfortable to wear their sunflower lanyards around campus, which demonstrates the real impact of the initiative.”
Get your lanyard
Green sunflower lanyards are now available to all students and staff with non-visible disability.
Students can collect a lanyard from Arc’s reception office on the UNSW Kensington campus.
Staff can organise to collect a lanyard by contacting: access_equity_inclusion@unsw.edu.au
10-minute training
All students and staff can complete the short Hidden Disabilities Sunflower online training module to increase their awareness of non-visible disabilities and the importance of creating inclusive environments.
Everyone who completes the training will be eligible to wear a supporter sunflower badge to signal their allyship to people with disability.
Use this enrolment key to access the course: HiddenDisabilitiesTraining_Student
If you need further guidance on how to enrol, instructions are available on the EDI website.
Creating accessible environments at UNSW
At UNSW we encourage everyone to play an active role in creating more inclusive and supportive environments:
Accessibility@UNSW
The workshops build knowledge, skills and tools to ensure accessibility confidence in the workplace and classroom. The sessions detail workplace adjustments at UNSW, provide practical guidance for making materials accessible, and promote an intersectional approach to accessibility at UNSW. Register now.
UNSW Accessibility site
Access to UNSW’s guidelines and resources for:
- ensuring your communications, events and meetings are accessible and inclusive
- venue accessibility
- website best practice
- using the UNSW Brand Hub guidelines and templates, including on inclusive language (in the UNSW Writing Style Guide).
Supporting Staff with Disability - HR Hub
Access the recently launched Workplace Adjustments Procedure and Toolkit.
You can find out more about UNSW initiatives and resources that support students and staff with disability on the EDI website.
If you have any questions about these initiatives and resources, please contact: access_equity_inclusion@unsw.edu.au
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