LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — An international program has made its way to Blue Grass Airport. A stand beside the TSA entrance holds a bowl filled with green lanyards with a sunflower pattern. This stand went up today and will remain inside the airport for a long time.
The reason? Blue Grass Airport instituted the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program to help people with disabilities that may not be apparent.
“About one in six people have a hidden disability,” said Blue Grass Airport community relations manager Lauren Simmerman. “The great thing about this program is that it’s kind of all-encompassing. If you feel that you would benefit from identifying the fact that you have a hidden disability, no matter what it is, you’re welcome to wear a lanyard.”
The lanyards serve as a visual cue that someone may be struggling with a non-visual disability.
“This can be anything from a visual or hearing impairment, or autism, difficulty standing for long periods of time,” Simmerman said. “We think it will get a lot of good traction and benefit a lot of our passengers.”
The Sunflower program started in 2016 at the London Gatwick Airport in England with the goal of making travel easier for people with hidden disabilities. The movement has since spread around the world, both for travel and for tourist locations.
Simmerman said, “VisitLex has worked with some of their partners as well, the Kentucky Horse Park and Rupp Arena, Central Bank Center, to make it available to guests at those spaces as well.”
The lanyard practically keys in airport workers to someone who might need a helping hand or simply a little more time and patience to accommodate their travel process.
“Letting the TSA officer know that you have that disability might enable them to communicate with you a little more effectively as you pass through that process,” Simmerman said.
The display will remain by the TSA checkpoint 24/7. To learn more about the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program, you can find information at https://hdsunflower.com/.
