Hidden Disabilities Sunflower is a British scheme and company created to help people with hidden disabilities navigate and find help in public places, by providing sunflower lanyards to provide for people with hidden disabilities to signal their need for extra help in public.
The scheme was created in 2016 by Gatwick Airport and various charities. [1] In April 2019, London North Eastern Railway became the first railway company to recognize the scheme. By July 2020, all British railway companies had adopted the sunflower lanyard scheme as a means for passengers to let staff members know they may need more assistance, and that they may be medically exempt from wearing a face covering. [2]
The scheme has now been adopted by airports in the United States, including Tulsa International Airport [3] and Central Illinois Regional Airport. [4] It has now been adopted by airports in Australia, Bahamas, Belgium, Caribbean, Columbia, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, India, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, New Zealand, Peru, Poland, Singapore, Sweden, Turkey, The Netherlands, UAE, UK and USA. [5]
In Hong Kong it has been adopted by the HSBC Bank. [6]
Sunflower lanyards and badges can be obtained for free at participating venues or purchased directly from the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower company website. Hidden Disabilities Sunflower have criticized the resale of their products at inflated costs, and the sale of counterfeit products on websites including Amazon and eBay. [7]
The sunflower lanyards are intended to let staff members know that the wearer has a hidden disability and as a result may take longer or need extra assistance. Staff members are trained to spot the lanyards and help the wearer. [8]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns were raised that the lanyards were being abused by non-disabled people for the purposes of avoiding wearing a face covering. Such usage has been criticized by Hidden Disabilities Sunflower, who have stated that only people who consider themselves to have a hidden disability (whether diagnosed or not) should wear the lanyard. [9]
The Rail Delivery Group Limited (RDG), previously the Association of Train Operating Companies, is the British rail industry membership body that brings together passenger and freight rail companies, Network Rail and High Speed 2. The RDG is approximately half-funded by Network Rail, the remainder of its funding being provided by the various transport groups it represents.
The Tyne and Wear Metro is an overground and underground light rail rapid transit system serving Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, and the City of Sunderland. It has been described as the "first modern light rail system in the United Kingdom". The system is currently both owned and operated by the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive (Nexus), thus is fully under public ownership and operation.
Freedom Pass is a concessionary travel scheme, which began in 1973, to provide free travel to residents of Greater London, England, for people with a disability or over the progressively increasing state pension age. The scheme is funded by local authorities and coordinated by London Councils. Originally the pass was a paper ticket, but since 2004 it has been encoded on to a contactless smartcard compatible with Oyster card readers, and since 2010, also ITSO card readers.
Invisible disabilities, also known as hidden disabilities or non-visible disabilities (NVDs), are disabilities that are not immediately apparent. They are typically chronic illnesses and conditions that significantly impair normal activities of daily living.
Transport in England includes road, rail, air, and water networks.
Sunflower is the common sunflower, a species of annual flowering plant first domesticated in the Americas.
Thirsk railway station is on the East Coast Main Line and serves the market town of Thirsk, North Yorkshire, England. It is situated between York to the south and Northallerton to the north. Its three-letter station code is THI. The station is about 2 miles (3 km) outside of Thirsk town centre and is actually on the edge of the village of Carlton Miniott.
Sunderland is a railway and metro station in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England. It is on the Durham Coast Line, which runs between Middlesbrough and Newcastle, via Hartlepool. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by Northern Trains. Since 31 March 2002, the station has also been served by the Tyne and Wear Metro's Green Line.
Bishop Auckland is a railway station that serves the market town of Bishop Auckland in County Durham, North East England, 11 miles 77 chains (19.3 km) north-west of Darlington. The station is the Western terminus of the Tees Valley Line, which links it to Saltburn via Darlington. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by Northern Trains.
Eversholt Rail Group is a British rolling stock company (ROSCO). Together with Angel Trains and Porterbrook, it is one of the three original ROSCOs created as a result of the privatisation of British Rail.
Malahide railway station serves Malahide in Fingal.
Rail transport plays a crucial role in connecting various regions of Thailand, transporting both goods and passengers through a range of transportation options that include inter-city and commuter rail, mass rapid transit, monorails, and airport rail links. The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) operates a network of intercity railways spanning 4,845.1 kilometers, covering 47 provinces across the country. SRT is committed to developing railway lands through its subsidiary, SRT Asset (SRTA), which focuses on transit-oriented development (TOD) initiatives. The Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal in Bangkok serves as the primary transportation hub for rail transport in Thailand, connecting various types of rail transportation throughout the country. It covers an area of 274,192 square meters, making it the largest railway station in Southeast Asia, and is situated in a new central business district (CBD) that is currently being developed.
The Tyne and Wear Metrocars are a fleet of light rail vehicles manufactured by Metro-Cammell for the Tyne and Wear Metro in North East England between 1978 and 1981. For operation on Network Rail controlled tracks between Pelaw Junction and Sunderland, they are designated on TOPS as the Class 599. Most were refurbished between 2010 and 2015 by Wabtec Rail at Doncaster Works and are scheduled to be replaced by Class 555 rolling stock from 2024.
Infraspeed is the builder and infrastructure maintenance company of the HSL-Zuid high-speed line in the Netherlands.
The European Union Persons with Reduced Mobility (PRM) legislation is intended to ensure that Persons with Reduced Mobility traveling via public transport, whether by air, land or sea, should have equal access to travel as compared to travelers with unrestricted mobility. Travel providers are compelled to provide and install sufficient access facilities to enable Passenger with Reduced Mobility to enjoy similar access to other passengers.
The COVID-19 pandemic had a large impact on public transport. Many countries advised that public transport should only be used when essential; passenger numbers fell drastically, and services were reduced. Provision of a reasonable service for the much smaller number of fare-paying passengers incurred large financial losses.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, face masks or coverings, including N95, FFP2, surgical, and cloth masks, have been employed as public and personal health control measures against the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
The wearing of non-medical face masks in public to lessen the transmission of COVID-19 in the United States was first recommended by the CDC on April 3, 2020, as supplemental to hygiene and appropriate social distancing. Throughout the pandemic, various states, counties, and municipalities have issued health orders requiring the wearing of non-medical face coverings — such as cloth masks — in spaces and businesses accessible to the public, especially when physical distancing is not possible.
The accessibility of public transport services in Greater London is incomplete. Much of the rail network in London was built before accessibility was a requirement. Unlike in the United States, Underground stations built in the 1960s and 1970s made no provision for the disabled, with wheelchair users banned from deep level Underground lines until 1993.
The following is a timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland during 2022. There are significant differences in the legislation and the reporting between the countries of the UK: England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales.