Hidden Disabilities Sunflower — Sunflower scheme (ADJACENT PROGRAM — not a sensory-hours program)
The Sunflower is a voluntary signalling scheme: a person with a non-visible disability wears a sunflower lanyard, badge or pin so staff know they may need extra time, patience, clear communication or an offer of help. It runs at participating airports and other organisations, including many in the U.S., and staff are trained to recognise it. It changes how staff respond rather than changing the environment, and it does not give priority access or faster security screening.
The program, as published
- Runs
- No schedule — the scheme applies whenever a participating organisation is operating; it is not a quiet-hours or timed program
- Where
- Participating organisations in the global Sunflower network, including many U.S. airports; participation is per-organisation, not universal — check the specific airport/organisation
- Status
- active-as-published
Source: Hidden Disabilities Sunflower (hdsunflower.com, U.S. site) — Manchester-Boston Regional Airport joins the Sunflower program · Last checked: 2026-10-28
Sensory provisions, in detail: The program
| Schedule | No schedule — the scheme applies whenever a participating organisation is operating; it is not a quiet-hours or timed program Hidden Disabilities Sunflower (hdsunflower.com, U.S. site) — Manchester-Boston Regional Airport joins the Sunflower program · 2026-10-28 |
|---|---|
| Where it runs | Participating organisations in the global Sunflower network, including many U.S. airports; participation is per-organisation, not universal — check the specific airport/organisation Hidden Disabilities Sunflower (hdsunflower.com, U.S. site) — Manchester-Boston Regional Airport joins the Sunflower program · 2026-10-28 |
| What changes | Wearing a Sunflower lanyard, badge or pin discreetly signals the wearer has a non-visible disability and may need extra help, understanding, patience or more time; Staff at participating organisations are trained to recognise the Sunflower and offer support such as clearer directions, extra time, or a quieter space where available; Wearing the Sunflower is entirely voluntary and no proof of disability is required; The Sunflower does NOT provide priority access, expedited security screening, or exemption from standard procedures (explicitly stated by the scheme) Hidden Disabilities Sunflower (hdsunflower.com, U.S. site) — Manchester-Boston Regional Airport joins the Sunflower program · 2026-10-28 |
| Cost | Sunflower items are free at many participating airports (e.g. complimentary lanyards at participating airport information desks, per the scheme's and airports' pages); availability and pickup points vary by organisation. Hidden Disabilities Sunflower (hdsunflower.com, U.S. site) — Manchester-Boston Regional Airport joins the Sunflower program · 2026-10-28 |
| Status | active-as-published Hidden Disabilities Sunflower (hdsunflower.com, U.S. site) — Manchester-Boston Regional Airport joins the Sunflower program · 2026-10-28 |
Before you go
- ADJACENT PROGRAM, labelled as such at James's direction: this is a recognition/support scheme for non-visible disabilities, not a sensory-friendly hours program, and it must not be presented as one. Program-level record only; no address or phone (venue-level data). Participation, pickup points and what support is offered are set by each member organisation, so any location-level claim needs that organisation's own page. The most common reader misunderstanding — that the lanyard gives queue priority — is explicitly denied by the scheme and should be corrected wherever this record is used. — Hidden Disabilities Sunflower (hdsunflower.com, U.S. site) — Manchester-Boston Regional Airport joins the Sunflower program, 2026-10-28
Questions families ask about Hidden Disabilities Sunflower
When does Hidden Disabilities Sunflower run?
As published by Hidden Disabilities Sunflower (participating airports, airlines and other organisations): No schedule — the scheme applies whenever a participating organisation is operating; it is not a quiet-hours or timed program. Checked 2026-10-28 — schedules are the most changeable facts in this directory, so confirm on the program page before you plan around them.
What actually changes during Hidden Disabilities Sunflower?
The organisation publishes these changes: Wearing a Sunflower lanyard, badge or pin discreetly signals the wearer has a non-visible disability and may need extra help, understanding, patience or more time; Staff at participating organisations are trained to recognise the Sunflower and offer support such as clearer directions, extra time, or a quieter space where available; Wearing the Sunflower is entirely voluntary and no proof of disability is required; The Sunflower does NOT provide priority access, expedited security screening, or exemption from standard procedures (explicitly stated by the scheme). Anything not on that list is not documented — individual locations may do more, or less.
Does the program run at my local location the same way?
This is a program-level record. Its published scope is: Participating organisations in the global Sunflower network, including many U.S. airports; participation is per-organisation, not universal — check the specific airport/organisation. Locations vary in how they run national programs, so a venue listing on this site carries its own evidence and date, and confirming with your location before a first visit is always worth the call.
Source & freshness
Source: Hidden Disabilities Sunflower (hdsunflower.com, U.S. site) — Manchester-Boston Regional Airport joins the Sunflower program · Last checked: 2026-10-28
Report a change or an error — reports are checked and logged on this page.
Change log
- 2026-10-28 — Program record published from the organisation's own published program page (datasets v1 + expansion pass 2, merged Oct 28, 2026).
Other national programs
- Walmart — Sensory-Friendly Shopping Hours — last checked 2026-10-28
- AMC Theatres — Sensory Friendly Films — last checked 2026-10-28
- Regal — My Way Matinee — last checked 2026-10-28
- Studio Movie Grill — Special Needs Screenings — last checked 2026-10-28
- Marcus Theatres — Reel Movies for Real Needs — last checked 2026-10-28
- Harkins Theatres — Sensory Friendly Screenings — last checked 2026-10-28