E62: How the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Builds Safety and Belonging with Anette Cmela

In this United in Accessibility podcast episode, Annette Cmela shares how the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower is helping create safety and belonging for people with non-visible disabilities through a globally recognized symbol and structured organizational implementation. We explore psychological safety, common myths about non-apparent disabilities, and how leaders can move beyond policy to build consistent, compassionate inclusion in practice.

Transcript

00:00:00 Speaker

[upbeat music] Welcome to the IAAP United in Accessibility podcast. Today, we are joined by Annette Cmela, Chief Innovation and Brand Officer of Hidden Disabilities Sunflower, where she leads the global development of a structured membership system, supporting consistent inclusion of people with non-visible disabilities. Annette works with multinational organizations to move beyond policy toward operational implementation, ensuring teams across locations can recognize the sunflower symbol and respond with confidence, clarity, and consistency. With a background in global brand transformation and enterprise governance, she brings a systems-level perspective to disability inclusion, addressing reputational, compliance, and operational risk, while strengthening customer and colleague experience. In this episode, we discuss belonging and psychological safety, the global expansion of the Sunflower across more than ninety countries, common myths about non-apparent disabilities, leadership responsibility, and how organizations can shift from checklists to human connection through training, culture, and consistent implementation. 

00:01:15 Mohammed Loutfy

Hello, everyone. My name is Mohammed Loutfy. I'm G3ict Director of Capacity Building and Advocacy. It's my pleasure today to be joined at this podcast by Annette Cmela. Annette, uh, you are the lead global brand and marketing strategy at, uh, Hidden Disabilities Sunflower, focusing on advocacy for people with non-apparent disabilities. You work on creating a world where accessibility is standard and participation is possible for everyone. Welcome. Welcome, Annette. 

00:01:59 Annette Cmela

Thank you. 

00:02:01 Mohammed Loutfy

Before we talk, uh, about your work, who is Annette Cmela, and, uh, what experiences or values shaped your path into accessibility? 

00:02:13 Annette Cmela

Thanks, Mohammed. So, I'm Annette Cmela. I'm the Chief Brand Officer for Hidden Disabilities Sunflower, and if you look at me, I'm a white woman in my fifties. I've got blonde, gray hair that just falls past, just past, past my shoulders. I've got clear, round glasses, and I'm wearing a black dress and cardigan with a gold necklace and earrings, and I'm smiling. I always start with a visual description because inclusion begins with small things. So, if it's, you know, for someone who's blind or has low vision, or someone who feels anxious in unfamiliar spaces, this is a way of saying, "You belong here." Belonging and the complexities of belonging has shaped my life from a very young age. So, I'm a third culture kid. You know, by the age of sixteen, I'd lived in eight countries, attended eight different schools, and I didn't really learn English fluently until I was eleven. So, each time I arrived in a new country, I had to make sense of a new culture, a new language, a new set of social rules, and I adapted quickly because I had to. As a teenager, I picked up accents really, really quickly, not to mimic anyone, but really because I wanted to blend in and to protect myself from feeling other. But adapting isn't the same as belonging, so often I looked like I belonged long before I felt like I belonged. And there's sort of a number of examples that I had when I was in school and, you know, and moving from one school to the other and having to learn new things. And it was always, you know, I'd be dropped into a new school, and my classmates were very comfortable with the culture that they were in. But meanwhile, I was encountering an entirely different, you know, entirely new worldview. And what I understood was that, you know, we assume shared experience far more often than shared experience actually exists, and that's really, you know, the experience of navigating life between cu- you know, between cultures and also watching... You know, uh, someone that I was very close to had a late diagnosis of autism, and watching them navigate the world and understanding the paths and the exhaustions that they had, has really led me to where I am. So, accessibility is-- and inclusion isn't a box to tick. It's a choice to really create spaces where people don't just look like they belong, they genuinely feel like they do. 

00:05:05 Mohammed Loutfy

That's excellent, Annette, and, uh, it's amazing the journey you've had, and, uh, I really appreciate the way you started, uh, by saying that accessibility starts w- with or from small things, which is very true, and many people over- oversee this and devalue this need, especially for people with visual disabilities, to be included by, uh, also learning about these small things. And, uh, I really appreciate your interest in multiculturalism and how you relate that to inclusion and accessibility. Annette, you built, uh, and led brands all over the world. What moment made you realize you could use brand storytelling to move from global brand work into accessibility and inclusion? 

00:05:55 Annette Cmela

My background's in global branding, so that's essentially helping organizations communicate across cultures and build meaning. When I came across, or when I was introduced to the Sunflower-... I realized that the tools of branding could do something much more than just shape markets. They could help to shape understanding, and so it was really that encounter with the Sunflower. So, the Sunflower essentially empowers the person who chooses to wear it. It really gives them agency, and essentially it allows them to say, you know, "I may need more time, help, or understanding," without having to disclose personal details or explaining, you know, their whole history. What struck me really deeply about the Sunflower was that it empowers the other person, too. So, you know, either it's a staff member, a colleague, or, you know, a fellow commuter, instead of hesitation, they feel confident. Instead of worrying about getting, it wrong, they know how to approach with empathy, and that dual empowerment, so the, the person wearing the Sunflower and the person responding, is about accessibility and inclusion working together. Accessibility opens the door, inclusion invites someone in, and then connection ensures that they feel safe once they're inside. And so, the Sunflower's creating that bridge, and it's a bridge based on choice, so the person chooses to wear it, and compassion. When you're asking about that transition, it's not about leaving brand work. It's about understanding that brand’s storytelling, so what's... You know, it can help to shift culture. It can help people understand each other, it can challenge stigma, and it can create a world where empathy is more instinctive. So that's really where my past and, uh, where I was talking about belonging and what I now do, met. 

00:07:58 Mohammed Loutfy

Amazing. I really appreciate your, you know, view about how bridging within cultures ensures safety through inclusion and accessibility. As a person with a disability myself, I really care about how we can fight stigmatization in a positive way, by bridging, by ensuring inclusivity and safety for all. But for listeners who are new to it, what is the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower, and how does it help in daily life? 

00:08:35 Annette Cmela

Thank you for the question. So, the Sunflower, or the Hidden Disability Sunflower, is a symbol, essentially. So, it's a green background with, um... it's a yellow sunflower against a green background, and you can- you know, it's worn as a lanyard, a badge, a wristband, or different, or we als- also as an ID card. And it's designed for someone with a non-apparent disability or condition. It gives them a way, or it enables them to give, you know, a discrete, voluntary way to communicate that they need some support or, or ne- they have a need, without having to ex- explain why they need it, why they need that support, or what the requirements. So, it puts the power into the person wearing it. They decide when, where, and how to use it. When someone recognizes the Sunflower, something shifts. So, you know, a staff member may slow down, a colleague might give more time or offer space, and it transforms that uncertainty into understanding. Essentially, it invites a powerful question: "How can I help you?" And so, since it started in the UK in 2016, it's now grown into an international symbol that's used in over 90 countries and by thousands of organizations in government, healthcare, transport, and financial services. And when an organization joins the Sunflower network and becomes a member of the Sunflower, and they train their staff to know what the Sunflower is, what non-apparent disabilities are, and how to approach someone wearing it, things within that organization start to shift. So, first, it makes the invisible visible. You know, people begin to understand what non-apparent disabilities are and the barriers that are faced. Second, it gives people confidence. You know, staff no longer hesitate. They know how to offer help and start a supportive conversation. And third, it changes the space itself, so workplaces, shops, or transport, or venues where people with non-apparent disabilities feel welcomed and supported. It started in 2016, but feels like it's had a very long history. In Brazil, in 2023, Brazil passed a national law recognizing the Sunflower as the symbol for non-apparent disabilities, and at that point, to mark the occasion, Christ the Redeemer in Rio, the statue, was illuminated with a Sunflower. And that momentum around the world continues. You know, public transport systems, schools, emergency services, and even whole cities and municipalities from Australia to Europe to America are joining in, and what they're doing is they're training staff and making real-world changes so that people with non-apparent disabilities feel safe, supported, and, and included. I could go on for a very long time, so let me know if there's anything in particular you'd like to know. [upbeat music] 

00:11:41 Speaker

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00:12:12 Mohammed Loutfy

That's amazing! I'm also new to this concept, and it's a, it's a great learning opportunity to meeting you and, and learn from- learn about the work, the great work you are doing. I like the term Sunflower, but can you explain a little bit why Sunflower? How is this symbol related to what you're doing? 

00:12:35 Annette Cmela

So when it started in 2016, it was developed at Gatwick Airport, and their, their accessibility team there recognized that there were people traveling through or visiting or traveling through their airport who needed support but weren't necessarily, you know, booking special assistance, and they had no way of asking for this with- you know, uh, without asking... you know, starting awkward conversations. And so, we worked with them to devise a solution, and it was a lanyard. Eventually, it was the Sunflower Lanyard, so green with yellow sunflowers on it. And the sunflower, it was chosen so that it was distinctive, it was immediately recognizable from a distance, and that it signaled positivity, strength, and didn't indicate non-apparent disabilities. 

00:13:24 Mohammed Loutfy

That's excellent. You mentioned different, uh, areas of services that, uh, the Sunflower has reached, such as, uh, airport, shops, schools, even festivals. Can you share one or two, um, stories that stayed with you, moments that show what, uh, this symbol really means to, to people? 

00:13:48 Annette Cmela

There's so many stories, it's really difficult to choose one, but there's one that has stayed with me. I was traveling to London for a meeting, and I was slightly late for the meeting, so I was going through Paddington Station and rushing through, and I noticed a woman wearing the Sunflower. And so, I stepped back and stopped and asked, you know, said, "You know, I see you're wearing the Sunflower. How can I... Is there anything I can do to help you?" And she had a brain injury, and she told me that the Sunflower had enabled her or given her the confidence to leave her home for the first time since the pandemic to visit her family. And what really struck me is she said that the Sunflower... that she felt that wearing the Sunflower, that she was taking her safe space with her. So that psychological safety of being seen without having to explain made the journey possible for her, so, and without it, she wouldn't have gone. And that was really interesting, and it really struck... You know, it was really powerful in the sense that it showed me that accessibility is not only physical, it's emotional, it's psychological, and its safety is knowing that the world around you will meet you with understanding. 

00:15:09 Mohammed Loutfy

It's amazing how simple solutions can transform people's life in such a brilliant way. So many people lives with disabilities that others cannot see. What are the biggest myths or assumptions you wish more people understand? 

00:15:26 Annette Cmela

There's a few myths I wish that would just disappear. So, the first one is, if you can't see a disability, it's not real. So non- non-apparent disabilities are incredibly diverse: neurological, sensory, cognitive, respiratory, chronic, mental, um, health-related, and they can fluctuate from day to day and moment to moment. Another myth is that people are asking for special treatment. You know, they're not. They're asking for equity so that the adjustments or the accommodations or the barriers that we help to... you know, that, that need to be removed allow them to participate with dignity. So, when we're using the Sunflower, it's often, um, really simple things, so like a seat, more time, clearer communication, or access to a quiet space, and those shouldn't be luxuries. They should just be part of... You know, they should just be normal part of everyday life. There's lots of myths that we want to get rid of. There's the myth that disability is not static. No, it changes. You know, the support that people need change from day to day and moment to moment and within different situations. And really, the Sunflower helps to be able to, you know, change or be able to enable people to remove the barriers that they're facing. 

00:16:50 Mohammed Loutfy

Yes, indeed, disability is not static, and there are new needs every day. There are different needs every day, and even within one need, there are different approaches and different ways to be addressed. So, um, you've said, Annette, that accessibility is about connection, not checklists. What does that mean in practice, and, uh, how do you help organizations make that shift? 

00:17:16 Annette Cmela

Checklists matter. Ramps, signage, captions, quiet rooms. They open the door, but what they don't do is they don't guarantee belonging. So, as I mentioned before, accessibility opens access, inclusion shapes experience, and connection is what makes them both meaningful. So, connection looks like giving someone more time without making it feel like an inconvenience or speaking clearly without being patronizing. We talk a lot about psychological safety, but creating psychological safety, the feeling that, you know, I won't be judged. And if we go back to the story about the woman that I met at, um, Paddington Station, what the Sunflower did for her, it created safety, and it was the psychological safety of being able to move or to be able to move through the world. And so, when we train organizations, we focus on this human layer. So, policies won't create inclusion. You know, it's people that create inclusion. You know, it's, it's very clear that staff often, you know, they want to help, but they're concerned about getting it wrong. And what the Sunflower does is give them that, a place to start. When organizations understand that accessibility is relational, you know, cultures shift, spaces, um, change, people feel heard. And what the Sunflower is not just a symbol, it's an invitation. So how can I support you today? 

00:18:55 Mohammed Loutfy

I really liked your point about, um, how accessibility is relational, and people are the ones who make accessibility work. We can have many policies, but no implementation, then accessibility is not guaranteed. So I really like your point about people. Uh, you've led teams in both, uh, corporate and, uh, mission-driven settings, 'cause you were just talking about organizations. So, what have you, uh, learned about leadership, empathy, and listening? 

00:19:28 Annette Cmela

That's a very... It's a very difficult question 'cause I'm still learning all the time. [chuckles] But, um, leadership for me, it's less about directing, and it's more about creating conditions where people feel safe to contribute. I talk a lot about safety, and listening is noticing. So, it's not just about what someone says, but it's what they are avoiding saying. It's creating a space for someone to express discomfort or need without the fear of judgment. And really, in mission-driven work, authenticity that matters. You know, you can't champion inclusion externally if you don't practice it internally. So, we have to create environments where people feel safe enough to be honest and safe enough to participate, and then that really creates the foundation for these in- you know, for an inclusive culture. 

00:20:28 Mohammed Loutfy

You, you just talked about building environment that guarantees inclusion and accessibility, and, uh, you also teach about disability inclusion in the workplace. What are a few things every leader should start, uh, doing today to build more inclusive teams? 

00:20:47 Annette Cmela

Normalize conversations about the support that people need, you know? When you are onboarding new staff, imagine what it'd be like if you asked everyone, you know, "What helps you to thrive at work?" Build flexibility in the system, so into your system, so in your communication styles or the way that you, um, structure your meetings, deadlines, or not everyone works in the same way. So, if you build in that flexibility into the system, it allows everyone to feel included and also to feel welcome within the workspace. Um, help to reduce stigma by, you know, modeling vulnerability. So as a leader, you know, a leader who says, "You know, I need clearer communication today," or, "I'm overwhelmed, and I need five minutes," that sets a really powerful tone for the rest of the team to feel safe, to also share what they need in order to be supported at work. And importantly, invest in training. So, inclusion and accessibility are not intuitive. They're skills that need to be practiced, and training helps to support that. So, if leaders do all these things consistently, I think the teams flourish, and it's because... really, it's because people feel safe enough to bring... you know, to be able to fully participate in work and to feel really confident that, um, they're being valued and welcomed. 

00:22:17 Mohammed Loutfy

So let me ask you this follow-up question, uh, Annette. Uh, so you talked about, uh, these concepts and how important inclusion is, and how do people contact you? How do you offer your services? Do you do awareness raising? Do you do training? Do you launch campaigns? Do you, um, reach out to organizations yourself, or how, how does it work? 

00:22:43 Annette Cmela

We do all of that. So, the Sunflower, for organizations, we have, um, thousands of members. So, they can join the mem- uh, they become members through a- it's essentially a subscription. We provide training in terms of explaining what the Sunflower is. So, you know, understanding what the Sunflower is, understanding the n- nuances and the complexities of non-apparent disabilities, and that, that there's no need to be an expert in those disabili- you know, in, in terms of, um, you know, knowing what those disabilities are. It's just being aware that there's thousands of, um, reasons why someone would wear the Sunflower. And then thirdly, how to approach someone wearing the Sunflower. We distill it down into a few principles, which is, you know, if you're- if you notice someone wearing the Sunflower, then, you know, ask how you can help, listen to them, be kind, don't judge, don't assume you know anything, what- you know, the reason why they're wearing the Sunflower. Organizations, we also provide webinars, either topical webinars, or we do webinars on different aspects of, um, inclusion and accessibility, and we also do campaigns. So, we cover all those points. And, and really, for us, every decision we make has a, what we call a Sunflower wearer at the core. You know, how, how can we make sure, and how can we encourage or support people who choose to wear the Sunflower to be able to feel confident taking part in society, and also having- knowing where organizations are Sunflower-friendly, and where they can go and, um, know that they're going to be supported w- in, you know, consistently when they're there?

00:24:32 Mohammed Loutfy

Well, having that said, what's next for you and for the, uh, Sunflower? Any upcoming events, uh, products, or key takeaways, uh, you want to share with our community or audience? 

00:24:49 Annette Cmela

So, the global momentum behind the Sunflower is extraordinary. So, from, as I said, from legislation in Brazil to airports, schools, financial institutions, and, you know, emergency services. So, for us, we want to continue that momentum, you know, encourage organizations to join and really make a commitment to supporting, you know, their staff, changing their workplace culture to support individuals with non-apparent disabilities, as well as their customers. So, it's just really building on what we already have. This year, we launched a new card called Sunflower Extra, which is an NFC-enabled card. So if someone who's a Sunflower wearer wants to share more information than they can get on our traditional cards, it, it opens up a page where they can share a lot more information, where they can change it, and it's been working really well in environments where there's a lot of noise and, you know, people don't want to explain what support they need at that particular point, or they can't. 

00:25:57 Mohammed Loutfy

Well, Annette, thank you very much. That was, uh, very inspiring indeed, and please keep the great work. And, uh, it's been a pleasure to have you with us today at this United in Accessibility podcast. I'm sure our audience will learn a lot, and, uh, I'm sure that, uh, the great work you are doing will, uh, make a lot of change and difference in many lives of people with disabilities. Thank you very much. 

00:26:25 Annette Cmela

Thank you very much for having me and thank you for the really insightful questions. It does really focus me answering them. 

00:26:32 Mohammed Loutfy

Thank you. 

00:26:33 Annette Cmela

Thank you. 

00:26:33 Speaker

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