Have you taken an inclusive micropause? ????

?The Hidden Disabilities site reminds us 'some disabilities, conditions or chronic illnesses are not immediately obvious to others’. The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower 'makes the invisible visible'.

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?In the team I lead, 5 people wear a Hidden Disabilities Sunflower lanyard or pin.? My daughter wears her lanyard at work and university. The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower is a simple tool for a person living with disability that may not be immediately apparent to others. The Sunflower identifies people who need a helping hand, understanding, or more time.?????

?I reached out to the wearers in my team and my daughter to find out what the symbol means to them.?

?My daughter, Bella, shared ‘My physical disability is no longer visible. People now assume I am able bodied when this is not the case. Wearing my sunflower pin and lanyard identifies me as a person with a disability who sometimes needs extra support. Keep an eye out for people displaying their sunflowers.? Just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean it is not there'.

?From the people in my team…silence.?

?This was very unusual—we speak a language of disability with openness, trust, vulnerability, inclusivity in our shared space of work.

?I was curious, and asked what was holding them back from sharing?? In their responses I heard shame, fear and self-consciousness:

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‘I learnt to keep my disability hidden’.

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‘My disability was seen as different and not in a good way’.

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‘I was made to feel embarrassed’.

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‘I was not encouraged to talk about my disability’

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‘My disability defined me as different and not in a good way’.

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One person shared ‘I?don’t wear a sunflower lanyard, my learned experience has made me shy of being too open about my hidden disabilities. As people around me are becoming more open and accepting of other’s differences, I may wear one in the future.’

?It made me question who is the Hidden Disability Sunflower for? It is not for the wearer; they know they live with a hidden disability. ??

?The Hidden Disability Sunflower is also for people who can provide assistance, or a little more time to create space for understanding and a more positive experience.

?When you see the Hidden Disability Sunflower take a micropause before asking, ‘I see you are wearing the Hidden Disability Sunflower, what do you need me to know?’

Darcie, is autistic, lives with anxiety and wears a Disabilities Sunflower, she says she needs people to ‘treat me like everyone else, as an equal, while understanding there is a lot going on in my head’. Darcie encourages people to keep being themselves when they see someone wearing a Sunflower symbol and to simply take a micropause and listen to understand what the person may need. Darcie shares, ‘I need people to know that I’m sorry if I am coming off as rude or uninterested.? I feel incredibly nervous especially if I wasn’t expecting or prepared for a chat.? My mind was probably thinking of my current work tasks, what I need to do, what is happening in a fortnight, did I put the garage door down, did that the woman at the coffee shop think I was rude and much more all in quick succession, this is how my brain works.’ She continues ‘I am different, just like you and everyone else.? I don’t know what part of my differences come from my personality and what part come from my neurodivergent brain, so I can’t just “stop it” or “figure it out”.? I need you to work it out with me.’?

Clementine has made the choice to not name her disability, she says ‘I feel anxious being around people who don’t know of my disability and fear I will say or doing something that may be interpreted the wrong way.? I also don’t feel comfortable in naming my disability, for fear people will not understand and judge me.? My disability is something you cannot physically see, and I often waste a lot of mental energy worrying about something I may have said or done – I know worrying does not change the outcome and that people's opinions are their own, but this is still something I do anyway. For me, wearing my sunflower lanyard allows me to give people the ‘heads up’ and hopefully they take a micropause, notice and ask what is the best way I can support you to make this easier???

While not everyone wearing the Hidden Disability Sunflower symbol is able to respond, my daughter reminds us, taking a micropause and framing a question ‘makes the hidden seen and this helps in making people feel included’.???

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