NIAGARA COUNTY, N.Y. — The Niagara County Department of Health is implementing a new program in the county, and is one of the first to do it in the state. The program is called the Hidden Sunflower Program.
What is the Hidden Sunflower Program?
The program is for those who have invisible disabilities, provides the option to self identify and make themselves visible. The program gives those a sunflower pin, lanyard, or bracelet as an identifying tool. Using the tool is a voluntary choice.
According to the Niagara County Department of Health "Globally 1 in 7 of us live with a disability. That is approximately 1.3 billion people. But while some of us experience a visible disability, many have a non-visible condition or experience a combination of both visible and non-visible conditions. These disabilities can be temporary, situational, or permanent. They can be neurological, cognitive, and neurodevelopmental as well as physical, visual, and auditory, and include sensory and processing difficulties. They can also be respiratory as well as chronic health conditions such as arthritis and diabetes, chronic pain, and sleep disorders."
"As diverse as these conditions are, so are your individual access needs and the barriers you face in your daily life. So you can opt to wear the Sunflower to discreetly be seen in shops, at work, on transport, or in public spaces." NCDOH writes on their website. "NCDOH is proud to join the Hidden Disability Sunflower Campaign. The goal of this campaign is to spread awareness of hidden disabilities, ensuring all guests and citizens of Niagara County feel welcomed and accommodated. By joining this network, the Niagara County Department of Health will continue to prioritize meeting the needs of individuals with disabilities or access/functional needs (AFN) in all of our public-facing programs and services."
The Hidden Sunflower products are free to whoever may need them, and available at the Niagara County Department of Health Office location and community-based events that they attend.
To learn more visit www.niagaracounty.gov/departments
