Making the Invisible Visible: Supporting People with Hidden Disabilities
The PTO is a proud member of the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program, an initiative dedicated to raising awareness and providing support for people with non-visible disabilities and conditions like autism, chronic pain, anxiety, or hearing loss.
What is the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower?
The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower is an internationally recognised symbol and a simple way to make an invisible disability or condition visible. It allows people to discreetly indicate that they may require additional assistance or understanding.
Who can wear a Sunflower product?
The Sunflower products, including lanyards, badges and wrist bands are available for people with hidden disabilities, as well as their carers and loved ones. Wearing the Sunflower lanyard serves as a signal to public transport staff that a person may need extra support or a little more time during their journey.
Supporting Individuals with Non-Visible Disabilities
Recognising the importance of creating a supportive environment, our complaints-handling team recently completed Sunflower training. This specialised training equips our team with a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by individuals with hidden disabilities, enabling us to provide more empathetic and effective support.
V/Line, Metro Trains and Yarra Trams also participate in the Hidden Disability Sunflower Program. Public transport staff, including drivers and other frontline personnel, wear Sunflower supporter badges to signify their completion of the training, indicating their commitment to providing assistance and understanding to those wearing the Sunflower lanyard.
How to Get Involved
Order a lanyard and find out more about the Sunflower at hdsunflower.com/au/. You can also pick up a lanyard from selected Metro stations, V/Line stations and Travellers Aid Australia locations.
The Public Transport Ombudsman respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we operate our services. We pay our respects to the ongoing living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and to Elders past and present.