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The Shire is a proud participant of the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Initiative.
The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Initiative is a global program raising awareness for people with non-visible disabilities and aiming to ensure they receive the understanding, patience and assistance that may be needed in their daily lives.
In Australia, 1 in 5 people are said to have a disability and 85% of these are non-visible or not immediately obvious, including autism, chronic pain, dementia, anxiety, visual and hearing impairments.
Community members with hidden disabilities can choose to wear a green lanyard, pin or wristband bearing the sunflower logo as a subtle way of letting our staff know that they may require additional support, assistance or a little more time when visiting Shire facilities, services and events.
Many of our staff have received training to better support community members with non-visible disabilities. Trained staff may be wearing white lanyards, pins or wristbands with the sunflower logo, to indicate their awareness and support for the initiative.
Merchandise is available for community members (and their carers/support workers) at the Augusta and Margaret River Libraries, Administration Centres and Recreation Centres. We ask you to kindly respect the integrity of the initiative and who the merchandise is intended for.
For more information, please contact the Community Development team at [email protected] or visit the Hidden Disabilities website.