Sunflowers Make Invisible Disabilities Visible

Laura Galli, an art history and theology student at the University of Zurich, has been a Sunflower fan from day one. She picked up one of the green lanyards covered in yellow sunflowers right after UZH made such products from the global network Hidden Disabilities Sunflower available to its staff and students at various pick-up locations. UZH joined the Sunflower initiative in 2026 in order to support students and staff with hidden disabilities or chronic illnesses as they navigate their everyday university life – regardless of whether they have formally disclosed their disabilities or illnesses.

Galli has a hearing impairment and ADHD – both of which are not always immediately apparent to others. “At least once a day, I have to explain to someone that I don’t hear well and need to read lips, so it’s essential for me that the person I’m talking to isn’t backlit. Or I have to explain that I may get distracted every few minutes when I’m listening because I can’t concentrate for long periods at a time,” she says. “Now that I have this green lanyard as a visual cue, I don’t have to explain myself anymore. The people I talk to should now be aware that I have an invisible disability.”

The global network Hidden Disabilities Sunflower aims to make invisible disabilities and chronic illnesses visible, break down prejudices surrounding them and help people better understand them. For example, not every young person on a bus can give up their seat to an older person, because they themselves may have motoric difficulties. Or meeting room lights may need to be dimmed slightly so highly sensitive people can avoid sensory overload and concentrate better. If those individuals are wearing a green Sunflower lanyard, it’s enough for them to say, “Could you please dim the lights a little? Thanks!” No further explanation is needed. “It’s exhausting to constantly have to explain yourself,” Galli says from experience.

This raises the question: Don’t people with hidden disabilities or chronic illnesses stigmatize themselves by being so open? “No,” responds Galli. “Wearing this visual cue is voluntary and a personal decision. For me, it’s important that in any given situation I can signal to others I need this or that. Or that they understand to please not take it personally if I react a bit differently than they would expect me to.” For Galli, the Sunflower lanyard provides a way to avoid having to constantly explain herself. And she hopes that at some point, there will be so much openness and understanding that the green lanyards won't be needed any more.

Galli would also like to see more people around her wearing a white Sunflower band, called a “supporter” wristband. A supporter wristband signals a willingness to help as well as a certain level of awareness. People who would like to wear a supporter wristband (or lanyard) must first watch a training video. “If, for example, an instructor was wearing a white Sunflower accessory, I would be less hesitant to approach them after their lecture and tell them that it’s very tiring for me when their faces are turned away from the audience rather than towards it.” Galli adds that this could open up more dialogue, thus allowing people with hidden disabilities and chronic illnesses to increase others’ awareness of their situation.

For Galli, Sunflower accessories are not a form of stigmatization. On the contrary, she believes they serve as a catalyst for more dialogue and respectful interactions. And she hopes these visual cues will lead to more openness and help people work together to break down prejudices. This can help make others more aware of the challenges facing people with disabilities and chronic illnesses.