Toronto’s Billy Bishop Airport Debuts Hidden Disability Sunflower Program

Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport has launched the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program for passengers travelling to and from the island airport in the heart of downtown Toronto.

The program offers individuals who have a non-visible disability with the option to wear a sunflower lanyard or sticker, providing a discrete way of signalling to airport staff that they may require additional support or a little more time or patience.

Without a visual cue, it can be difficult for others to identify, acknowledge or understand the daily barriers faced by people living with a non-visible disability. For those living with such disabilities, the sunflower lanyard or sticker enables them to navigate their environments confidently, choosing what they share or don’t share about their non-visible disabilities, conditions, or chronic illnesses. 

For those who work at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, the program and associated training equips them with the knowledge and confidence to talk about disabilities, and respectfully and non-intrusively support colleagues and customers with non-visible disabilities.

“We are committed to ensuring that all Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport passengers have a positive experience inclusive of their individual needs,” said RJ Steenstra, President and CEO, PortsToronto. 

“By offering discreet, personalized assistance through the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program, we aim to make travel more accessible and less stressful for those with hidden disabilities, enabling them to feel more confident and supported throughout their journey.”

Travellers planning to pass through Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport who have a hidden disability and would like to receive a Sunflower lanyard can email info@nieuport.com at least 24 hours ahead of their arrival at the airport to organize pickup on the day of travel. 

Alternatively, travellers may pick up a Sunflower sticker anytime on the departures level of the passenger terminal as a means of signalling to airport staff that they have a hidden disability. All Sunflower products will be available free of charge.

Since its launch in 2016, businesses from every sector have joined the global Sunflower network — including over 280  airports. The Sunflower has now been launched locally in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark and the Nordics, Ireland, Latin America, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the UK, the UAE and the USA.

ilOffering service to more than 20 cities in Canada and the U.S., with connection opportunities to more than 100 international destinations via our airlines’ networks, Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport is an important international gateway that will open a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Preclearance facility later this year.