LEXINGTON – VisitLEX and its Visitor Center, Central Bank Center and Rupp Arena, the Kentucky Horse Park, and Blue Grass Airport have joined an effort to assist people who have hidden disabilities.
An estimated one in six people have a disability – with roughly 80 percent having one that is not visible. That is more than 1 billion people.
The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower is a simple tool for people to wear and voluntarily share that they have a disability or condition that may not be immediately apparent.
It signals that they may need extra time, patience, understanding or even a little help while traveling. Employees of these participating organizations have been trained to look for and work with people wearing the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower. Visitors also can pick up sunflower apparel such as lanyards and pins at the Lexington Visitors Center.
It’s an easy and non-intrusive way for Lexington to be even more welcoming to all visitors,” VisitLEX President Mary Quinn Ramer said. “This effort is part of our new Lex for Good initiative, which promotes accessibility and sustainability in the tourism industry in Lexington.”
Non-visible disabilities can be temporary, situational or permanent. They range from neurological, cognitive and neurodevelopmental to physical, visual, auditory, sensory and processing difficulties. They also include respiratory, rare diseases and chronic conditions such as asthma and diabetes.
“Our mission is to connect people with horses because we believe in the special relationship that exists,” said Lee Carter, president of the Kentucky Horse Park. “Something as simple as a sunflower will allow our staff to recognize a need, take an extra step and provide authentic service that will hopefully blossom into a love for our equine companions.”
Brian Sipe, general manager of the Oak View Group, added: “As Oak View Group continues to expand our programming in Lexington, we are excited to become a partner in this venture with VisitLEX as we welcome hundreds of thousands of people to Central Kentucky every year. Whether coming to a basketball game, a concert, a comedy show, a sporting event, a charity dinner or any other event we have – we know participating in this program will ensure that all of our guests have the amazing experience they have come to expect at our facilities.”
Learn more at https://hdsunflower.com/uk/insights/post/what-is-a-hidden-disability.