Hidden Disabilities Sunflower - Australia & New Zealand’s Post

🌻 Ever wondered what the Sunflower symbol means? 🌻 It represents hidden disabilities or conditions that might not be visible at first glance. People wearing the sunflower lanyard, pin, or wristband are discreetly sharing that they may need a little more time, help, or support. This is crucial because 1 in 5 Australians lives with a disability, and 80% of disabilities are non-visible. I love this program because it encourages inclusion, acceptance, and understanding.  It is a symbol of strength, confidence and positivity. It also places the responsibility for support on the environment, not the individual. I'm thrilled that CommBank is now officially 'Sunflower friendly'. This has been brought together by a team led by Katherine Alderson. Thank you Kat for your relentless zest and drive, Fiona Herron for sharing your story, Al Reid for championing it within our Enable network, Bronwyn Carson for all your support as co-chair. Many others have contributed to the success of this program launch, including the thousands of frontline colleagues who completed the training and support our customers with care and dignity every day. As someone with lived experience of disability, I am so proud to wear a sunflower pin as part of this incredible team and program. To find out more about how you can get involved or to get a lanyard, pin or wristband visit: Hidden Disabilities Sunflower - Australia & New Zealand #accessibility #DignityByDesign #sunflower #CommbankLife #HiddenDisabilities #MakingTheInvisibleVisible #BeSeenWithSunflower

“Shining a light on my hidden disability at work wasn't an instant process. I knew I had some random genetic condition; I knew I was struggling in more and more situations, and I knew I wanted to take some control in where life was going. My turning point came when I was a new starter at CommBank in early 2018 and was met with the question of whether I needed an adjustment at work. I didn’t know what I needed, I didn’t know how to articulate the problem but I knew I needed to say something and stop holding myself back. It felt like I was finally taking control and shining my disability proudly into the light. Since then I’ve done a lot of work to understand my genetic condition (Best’s), the low vision I live with and the things that will help me participate equitably in the world. It’s been really difficult at times but worth it. I’ve been lucky to be supported by awesome colleagues in Enable (CBA’s employee network for with people with disability, people who are neurodivergent and carers). Through this network I was introduced to the Hidden Disability Sunflower program. Hidden Sunflower encourages people to wear a green sunflower lanyard, pin or wrist band to indicate they have a hidden disability and may require additional support. I wear mine proudly every day and hope to keep raising awareness to show our customers and colleagues that we understand and are here to support them in time they need us most.” Fiona Herron, Senior Manager Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)! That means it is time for one of my favorite inclusion initiatives. Our RTX ADAPT, Pratt & Whitney Employee Resource Group produces the Faces of Ability campaign, aimed at highlighting inclusive ways to make the workplace accessible to everyone, by sharing stories from Pratt & Whitney employees across the globe. I'd like to share one story from David Ray, one of our incredible employees in Asheville, North Carolina.  Dave was diagnosed with a fatty liver in 2010, which progressed to Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD), and then to liver cirrhosis over the next six years. MASLD occurs when the body begins storing fat in the liver. While some liver fat is normal, when more than 10% of the liver’s weight is fat, it may begin to suffer. Dave is open about the struggles that came along with this: "It was a journey that was tough mentally and physically as I learned how to adapt to the life changes that came with this disease. I struggled on how to share this with my work team, as liver cirrhosis has a negative connotation. Pratt & Whitney and my team supported me more than I could have ever asked for." Thank you David Ray for sharing your story. I continue to stand in awe of those who share their stories through the Faces of Ability campaigns.  The sheer strength and determination inspires us all. May their courage remind us all to be more intentionally inclusive and challenge assumptions of what disabilities "look like”. #disability #ERGs #WeArePW #thePeopleOfPrattAndWhitney #inclusion #inclusive

As Disability Pride Month comes to a close, I’ve been thinking a lot about the intersection between my disability & professional experience. At 27, disability is interwoven into the fabric of my world. In college, I thought it would be a part of my life in a vastly different way; I imagined it would become poison, until all the Hailey was eroded, scooped out, and thrown into the discard box. By 20, every dream I had about my future felt unreachable. I was told I could never have a career with any physical component. I couldn’t have a sedentary job, because I could still cause disruptions to my colleagues. I could never, absolutely never, be in a profession with a crisis response component [spoiler: I am in a profession with crisis response, and I’m kickass at it], and so on. I was scolded about all the harm I could cause if I participated in other facets of life, like going to class or the grocery store. I was consistently told that my existence was a burden. I felt unearthly, and couldn’t, for the life of me, claw my way out of the margins. It began hard to imagine myself getting older, like this pervasive erasure was going to pluck me from my home and in one sweeping motion, I would be deleted. So I hid. I learned to compartmentalize. to stay small. to need less. to be invisible in every other way, when disability couldn’t be. I was deceived into believing my desire for inclusion was gluttonous & unreasonable. And then something magical happened. At 24, I began working at an institution where my disability was… irrelevant. It was respected as a part of my identity, but was not a part of any conversation about my worth, personally or professionally. And that was when the tide turned. I was able to start unapologetically existing and, in turn, had the wherewithal to look up and see all the disabled bodies around me, the people who took up space without permission. I began to expand. There is a tension here, of gratitude and struggle. These words about the complexities of ableism & disability are not honeyed with the false narrative of inspiration non-disabled folks devour. The chronic kind of illness and the chronic kind of pain and the chronic kind of interdependence, is hard. Yet, the anthology of all my days, the design being shaped and repaired, ribboned through my consciousness, is rich and deep and glorious. After years of being stored in a container saturated & left soggy by constant, malignant ableism, I realize the container had a door. Now, when the pulsating fractals of ableism swirling around us get caught in my orbit, I can shoo it away, and I feel the sting, of course, but I can also recognize they can’t comprehend what our disabled bodies + minds are building together. And that’s okay. And as my life opens in front of me, I finally feel safe being inevitably tethered to this body. At peace with disrupting the paradigm of what it looks like to be here. On the backs of the disabled people before me, who cleared the road.💌

𝐈𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲. As we approach the World Disability Day I’ve been reflecting on what truly disables us : 𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒔  and : 𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒔𝒐𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒕𝒚. Well, it’s not just the physical or visible limitations people face. It’s the invisible barriers we create —the ignorance and —lack of knowledge that limit our understanding empathy and growth. Sufi wisdom teaches: "𝑨𝒏 𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒏 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕  𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆  𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒏 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒔." Ignorance disables us when: —We don’t seek to understand the challenges others face. —We assume we already know enough. —We rely on outdated beliefs instead of expanding our knowledge. And here’s one more thing: ignorance isn’t always a bad thing too. 𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝒃𝒖𝒕 sometimes, ignorance brings a certain bliss —it protects us from overthinking or from the fear of the unknown. Yet, ignorance becomes dangerous when it stops us from growing connecting, and making the world more inclusive. A lack of knowledge disables societies: When people’s abilities are overlooked because we don’t understand them. When solutions aren’t pursued because we assume they don’t exist. When empathy is replaced by judgment. This World Disability Day, I’m reminded that the cure for ignorance is awareness. It starts with small, intentional steps: Asking questions instead of assuming answers. Learning from those with lived experiences. Building systems that recognize and celebrate every kind of ability. 👉Let's wake up. Look around. Honor all abilities by expanding our own knowledge— and create a world that works out better for everyone. 🌍✨ Here's the message from MJ & SJ 😊 Heal the world! https://lnkd.in/g_NDdBNr #WorldDisabilityDay #DiversityAndInclusion #Leadership #PersonalGrowth #Sufidiaries #Storytelling

Playing D&D at work? No way… unless… 👀 When applied as a learning tool, roleplay is more than just fun and games! 🎲 Book a chat with me and Alice to discuss how a D&D game for your team can unlock new thinking around Access and Inclusion 🐉 #DND #TTRPG #RPG #Access #EDI

With so much going on here at SIC, I've suddenly realised that Disability History Month is less than a week away. With just a few slots remaining over the 14th - 20th of December, and with a theme of Disability Livelihood and Employment, we're offering 50% off deals on a few of our offerings. Save over 50% on our newest offering - role play - which went down an absolute storm at the SIC Conference with Emily Sylvia and is ideal for small groups of disabled and neurodivergent colleagues (an ESG would love this!). You'll gain access to myself and Emily's expertise, a super fun 2.5 hour session, and the opportunity to add an extra hour on reasonable adjustments and access to work. Save 50% on our mega accessible team away day with myself and Daniel O'Driscoll where we'll work through accessibility, inclusion, user manuals, lego serious play, and any specific challenges you're experiencing in your teams. We did a tonne of these over the summer with the NHS as well as a taster at last week's conference. Save 50% on our disability history sessions. I don't ever really chat about these, but my background is actually in the history of medicine (via King's College London and University of Oxford) and these sessions were designed specifically for Disability History Month for London South Bank University in 2022 and 2023. They're a great opportunity to do something different when it comes to celebrating disabled history. Plus, because it's been a pretty good year, I'm also offering 20% off all our other services that are booked during Disability History Month (as long as the date is before the 28th Feb 2025). Drop me a DM or email if any of the above appeals. #DisabilityHistoryMonth #UKDHM #DisabledEntrepreneur #SocialEnterprise #Neurodivergent #UKHR #HRUK #LearningAndDevelopment #ImageID - a 5 page PDF that covers all the offers above. The pages are pale orange with black text, except for the top title, which is in contrasting colour boxes. Each page has a halftone collage-style image in deep orange and blue.

Disability Pride Month happens every July to mark the ADA's anniversary, which was passed on July 26, 1990. To honor that, for the remainder of the month each day I will write a small blurb on why I’m thankful for my disability and what it has brought me. #2. My disability has given me strategic mindset. Having a disability, you have to think ahead four sometimes five steps ahead of the average person. From going on week long trips to making dinner at home, the wheels in my mind keep turning to make sure things are accessible. I remember going to BGSU and having to plan down to the minute enough time to get to campus, find parking, walking through campus (praying no accidents/obstacles), and finding a seat for class. Even now with working from home the mental mindset takes a strategic mindset. Picture this: my wife, also my superhero caregiver, must execute a military-style operation every day before 7:30 am. She's getting herself, our energetic 2-year-old; and myself all dress, using a medical equipment to get me into my power chair. So to say I over analyze with my strategic thinking sometimes is understatement, but that’s because my room for error is a lot less smaller than the average person. One miscalculation or one time not thinking ahead can be the difference between enjoying myself at an event and maybe calling for medical attention/assistance. Extremely thankful for thinking this way because it aids me not only in my day to day but also in my work life too! Which has help me win awards like supervisor of the quarter this year Tune in tomorrow for #3 on thankful for my disability. #disabilityinclusion #disabilityawareness #MDA Muscular Dystrophy Association #DisabilityPrideMonth #disability