Building Belonging: The Hidden Disability Sunflower Program

The Hidden Disability Sunflower program is a way for employees to self identify that they might have a visible or non-visible condition. That might mean they need some extra time or some extra support, or they might think about things in a way that's a little bit different from how you think about things. Through this partnership, we're really excited to increase the understanding and the awareness around the disability community. There's this idea that a lot of times disabilities are something you can see. In reality, there are so many disabilities that are non-visible. Disabilities could be things like chronic conditions, it could be a cancer diagnosis, it could be mental health or those that are neurodivergent. It's incredibly important to think about disability inclusion as something that touches every single person. There is a good chance that you are going to experience or care for someone that experiences a disability in your lifetime. The reason I wanted to become a Co-chair, my father had diabetes, and I saw the negative impact that had on him later in life. Disabilities if not recognized, if not treated over time, can also lead to more severe symptoms, can lead to physical disabilities. And so, this helps us as well because our employees are being taken care of, they're healthy, they're engaged, they're better overall the visibility. The BRG is here to support our employees whether they have a disability or whether they're supporting family or friends with a disability, and make sure that they can be authentic and bring their whole selves to work without having to be exceedingly vocal because disabilities at the end of the day are a very personal thing. We chose to partner with Hidden Disabilities Program because we felt like it was the next step in our disability inclusion journey and that we could provide the option if somebody felt comfortable to disclose. So, if someone is wearing a green lanyard, that is signaling that they may need additional support. Now if somebody is wearing a white lanyard, that is signaling that they are an ally, giving us a chance to have allies to suddenly disclose that they understand the program, they understand that, you know, the question can just be asked if they need additional support. We're really trying to uplift each other, and be that inclusive space, but also an opportunity for us to learn from one another. If we are able to create a workforce that is thinking about inclusion for both the hidden and non-hidden disabilities, we're really bringing our best selves to the table. This is not an isolated program. This program is really globally inclusive of multiple sectors of business. Look around, you will be surprised at how many signs you see with the Sunflower.