London stations embrace Sunflower scheme

Tue,3 March 2020
News Transport

Sunflower-branded lanyards and sunflower-branded ticket wallets are now available from major London railway interchanges for the Southern and Southeastern railway networks.

From this week, passengers with hidden disabilities can obtain them from information points and ticket offices at Victoria, London Bridge, Charing Cross, Cannon St, Waterloo, Clapham Junction stations, as well as Guildford station in Surrey.

All Network Rail, Govia Thameslink, South Western Railway and Southeastern station staff have been briefed to understand what the sunflower lanyards signify and can offer the right help to passengers who need it. Staff will wear green and yellow sunflower badges so passengers with hidden disabilities can approach them for help if they need to.

DR UK’s Kamran Mallick said: “We welcome the move to provide training to ensure that station staff recognise that not all disabilities are visible. However it is important that staff respond to requests for assistance from passengers without those passengers feeling they need to overtly disclose their disabilities. It should be enough that a passenger requests assistance for them to receive assistance, with no further interrogation. It should not become a requisite that disabled people, whether their disabilities are visible or hidden, should have to present proof before receiving basic, human help. It should always be an indiviual's choice as to whether or not they display a sunflower symbol.”