Sunflower lanyards for hidden disabilities

Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust is pleased to be participating in the Sunflower Lanyard Scheme from Hidden Disabilities.

Our sunflower lanyards are available for people who have a disability that you might not be able to see. They are for people who want to let us know that they may need some extra help, time or assistance. When you wear your sunflower lanyard, a member of staff may ask you if there is anything we can do to help you.

What is a hidden disability?

A hidden disability is a disability that may not be immediately obvious.

This could be, for example:

  • sensory loss, including difficulty seeing or hearing
  • a physical disability that may not be obvious
  • autism
  • a learning disability
  • anxiety or any other mental health condition.

There is no qualifying list of hidden disabilities. If you have a hidden disability and feel that you would benefit from wearing a sunflower lanyard, please do. 

Where can I get a sunflower lanyard?

Sunflower lanyards are available at main receptions at University Hospital Lewisham and Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Once you have your lanyard, it is yours to keep and you can wear it any time you want.

For further information, please see the hidden disabilities website.

 

Lloyd's story

Below we hear from Lloyd Page (pictured), a Mencap volunteer, campaigner and author, about how he feels the Sunflower Lanyard Scheme from Hidden Disabilities can help.Lloyd Page

"My name is Lloyd Page and I’m a volunteer for Mencap, a campaigner and author, I also have a learning disability.

I was really pleased to hear that University Hospital Lewisham, which is my local hospital, has launched a Sunflower Lanyard Scheme for people with hidden disabilities like me.

You might not realise it when you first see me but my learning disability means I sometimes need extra support when I’m in hospital.

At Mencap we have a campaign called Treat Me Well, which is about helping people in hospitals get better at supporting people with a learning disability

Simple, small changes can really help us. This can mean things like having doctors and nurses use simple words rather than medical jargon, after all no one likes jargon.

I like to have information in Easy Read because it uses short sentences and pictures.

Some people with a learning disability have a hospital passport, which tells people how to best support them in hospital. It’s important that doctors and nurses take the time to read them.

Wearing the sunflower lanyard is a great way of letting doctors know that you need extra support.

And remember – it’s not only for people with a learning disability. They’re for anyone with a disability or health condition who needs a bit of extra help.

I will be proud to wear my sunflower lanyard when I need to go into hospital."