BOISE, Idaho — The City of Boise, in collaboration with Boise Airport, is launching the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program on Friday. The initiative aims to support travelers with non-visible disabilities by offering them special sunflower-embellished lanyards, which subtly signal to airport staff that additional time, patience, or assistance may be needed.
Travelers can collect these sunflower lanyards in person from the Administration Office on the third floor of the Boise Airport or at City Hall's Office of Community Engagement. Lanyards can also be obtained through mail by submitting a request at cityofboise.org/sunflower.
No eligibility criteria are required to obtain or wear a Sunflower lanyard. The initiative addresses a variety of hidden disabilities, including autism, dementia, low vision, and epilepsy.
Boise Airport staff have received training on the Sunflower program and will wear corresponding pins to indicate their ability to help.
With more than 300 airports across the United States participating in the Sunflower program, approximately half of Boise Airport’s nonstop destinations are already involved in the project. Regional airports that offer the Sunflower program include Salt Lake City, Seattle, Portland, and Idaho Falls.
