Sunflower Team at Luxembourg airport;
Credit: Ali Sahib, Chronicle.lu
On Thursday 8 May 2025, Luxembourg airport officially joined the global Hidden Disabilities Sunflower network, designed to assist people with a hidden disability to voluntarily and discreetly share that they may be in need of extra assistance during their time at the airport.
The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower lanyard features a bright sunflower pattern on a green background and is a globally recognised symbol for people with hidden disabilities. The international symbol is a simple, discreet way for people with non-visible disabilities to indicate that they may need additional support, understanding or a little extra time during their journey. Luxembourg Airport is the first company in the Grand Duchy to officially join the globally recognised programme, describing it as “a significant step toward a more inclusive and accessible travel experience for all passengers”.
Travellers can request a Sunflower lanyard at the information desk in Terminal A of Luxembourg Airport. They do not have to disclose the nature of their disability. Trained airport staff will recognise that those wearing the lanyard may require additional assistance, support or understanding, including help navigating airport check-in, luggage drop-off and security, as well as getting to the departure gate and into the aeroplane if required. The lanyard does not provide a personal staff escort through the airport, but does convey to all staff that extra understanding may be required. It can be worn by the person requiring assistance or by someone travelling with them. The lanyard can also be used with a card containing additional information on specific assistance needs.
Launched in 2016, the global Sunflower network encompasses businesses from every sector, including retail, travel and tourism. Over 300 airports worldwide participate in the programme. One does not have to request a new lanyard every time one travels or for different airports. As long as the Sunflower is worn and visible, trained staff at participating airports will provide assistance.
Chronicle.lu had the opportunity to speak with Nadia Kendall, Consultant at Real Impact Hub, dedicated to promoting gender equality and combating exclusion and Director of Be Human Asbl, that fosters inclusivity in society, about the steps involved in adopting the Sunflower initiative at Luxembourg airport. She explained that her involvement stemmed from personal interest and led to her conducting small scale interviews on Zoom to assess different people’s experiences of the initiative. In-person training began at Luxembourg airport in October-November 2024 and involved training about autism from people who are autistic, ADHD trainings from people who have ADD and also included generalised diversity inclusion and hidden disability inclusion subjects.
Nadia Kendall stated that the Real Impact Hub supported and provided feedback to the airport throughout the process by engaging with non-profit organisations, responding to surveys and analysing data. Walk-throughs were conducted in order to gain insights into difficulties passengers could face from the their arrival in the carpark to boarding the aeroplane for example bright lights, noises or signs that were not clear to people with dyslexia.
According to Lux-Airport, the initiative to join the Sunflowers Programme aligns with its ongoing efforts to improve accessibility and passenger satisfaction. The sunflower lanyard is available free of charge to at the airport and can be collected either before or on the day of departure.
