There are attempts to make “hidden disabilities” “visible” by attaching a SUNFLOWER logo to the person apparently or obviously affected by a “hidden disability”. There are a range of severe misconceptions that warrant a deeper look.

Some people may genuinely want a discreet way to signal that they need time, reduced sensory pressure, patience, or assistance without explaining intimate details. For them, voluntary signalling can be useful.

The real distinction is not symbol versus no symbol. It is voluntary, person-controlled, context-specific signalling versus institutionally encouraged identity marking.

A “visible disability” is often complex

As we know, even a simple harmless bit of scratch or “flesh wound” such as limb amputation is not as harmless as you usually think.

The premise is naïve that visibility improves social treatment.

For visibly disabled people, visibility often does not create understanding. It creates staring, projection, infantilisation, fear, curiosity, pity, avoidance, or control fantasies.

So the author says: why would adding a sunflower make people more competent, respectful, or intelligent?

If they already cannot handle a visible limb difference, a symbol will not magically civilise them.

You have us down as mentally impaired [link] but fact is we usually are not that, so, hope as the last item left in Pandora’s box for us is doomed to stay there [link]. Not that y’all ever relate [link].

But if all sorts of strange people think that all that is needed to make us “human” again [link] is their idea of a nightmare attempt at a device [link] then we can make better assumptions as to what type of bell has rung. The present times may be closer than we would have believed!

A “hidden disability” may not be an adequate assessment

If a disability is termed “hidden” in my view it just means that not any idiot can spot it from a mile away. That is all.

Anyone, also those that can read a room with ease [e.g., link], or those that have no problems identifying subtle signs or talking to people, will never need crude idiotic signs to point out whatever it is people believe they have to show others that they carry themselves with. Whatever that then is.

The most prevalent “hidden disability” any fool can identify 200 m against the snowstorm blindfold, wearing boxing gloves and only carrying overboiled spaghetti as a means of touch, is the academic variant of narcissism. We know. We see that from miles away. And I am yet to see any of these to carry the SUNFLOWER! Of course: that is obvious.

If anything, the SUNFLOWER exposes a serious institutional contradiction.

A workplace that needs a lanyard system to “recognise” hidden disability may be admitting that ordinary human observation, communication, and supervisory competence are weak. That is a brutal but fair point. Good inclusion does not start with branding people; it starts with managers who can listen, adapt, and not behave like bureaucratic predators.

So if a workplace starts to hand out free SUNFLOWERS it means the average employee and more importantly supervisor are essentially clueless.

Otherwise things that seem or appear hidden would be accepted, known, respected, with ease. In other words, a workplace that advertises their inability as need to “visualise” the not too visible but easily revealed (or better left alone)? That should be a red flag as such.

It is with that in mind that we now read, interpret, put into context, the first statement of Benjamin Boerner, disability office representative at the University of Zurich, at their kickoff event for what they called “commUNIty”, where they, as far as I understood, tried to made very clear that their understanding of disability only pertains to students and not to employees.

The man then said, that, first and foremost, the University is to be seen and understood as a place of exclusion, not as a place of inclusion.

I mean, fair enough! How great is that. How much politically incorrect deep honesty can you ask for!

But doesn’t that mean that now more than ever, we will turn everything into a big Hide and Seek? After all, what are we up against: THIS…?  How is that fun? That’s unfair from the get go.

So I do not think any obvious aspects of possibly hidden divergence from their narrow normal is helped by putting up signs for those that are impaired in their communication with others. Nope. We are going to try our best to exploit that because life is hard enough as it is already.

A disability that is “made visible” is a clear signal for others to distance themselves

We, with disability, regardless of what you believe that you “see”, can and will benefit from anyone among you that is blind to that. I am an arm amputee. I have a t-shirt that reads “it only looks like that”. People do not even get that. How hard can it be? I get my share of totally blank stares, so what do you think a sunflower does to them? Put me up as gardening freak?

Symbols of support can become symbols of containment. A lanyard may say “help this person,” but it clearly says “this person is administratively special, potentially difficult, fragile, deviant, or needing supervision.” That ambiguity may not be harmless.

People generally do not need explanations. They cannot behave or carry themselves anyway [link]. They don’t need anything. I accept them as uninformed as they want to be and just as they are: I accept and answer to their raw gut reactions [link]. Then I can better gauge what they may be made of and can step forward or step away adequately. They cannot be helped. But I can.

Any signs or logos worn to indicate disability are an outspoken, clear and intended form of discrimination

When I first read that the University of Zurich gives away free lanyards to people that want to show off the SUNFLOWER I knew we were in trouble.

That is the same University that, together with the University Hospital of Zurich, taught in their research ethics courses, that textbook examples for people that permanently lack executive power include disabled people (without any further specification). Without exception or excuse. I asked for clarification and they then confirmed. So when these guys start to hand out SUNFLOWERS all I can say is you better run. Meantime research went on [e.g. link, link].

It is that University where a guy that is now high up somewhere there (no, not there, higher, …, yep, that one) had told me in 2008 in explicit terms that given my disability, he expected me to be passive and submissive and always smiling with submissive readiness to follow any of his orders at all times, and that me not doing that would irritate him to absolutely no end, and as far as I can tell, now in 2026, he is still trying to get there. No kidding.

It is there also, that I remember that I once had general anesthesia for a surgery I objected to and told them that, and I remember a guy saying “put him under so he cannot object any more” and later they could not really bill me all they wanted to for their surgery. Lacking consent and all. Boo hoo. And as far as I can tell, they are still upset about that in major ways. How childish can one be? Ah: … that childish: to suggest I also wear a SUNFLOWER? For being able to pay attention at times? Or for what exactly.

A bit late to apologize I would say.

Exploration of the other person does not require more, but less, distance signals

I am not sure you came here because you wanted to know that.

There is a certain danger of outsourcing inclusion onto the disabled person.

Instead of the institution changing behaviour, the person must wear the signal. That shifts the burden: “Please mark yourself so we know how to process you.” That may be risk management dressed as compassion.

But if I, as right below elbow amputee, was to wear a SUNFLOWER logo:

• I would let you know that I could in theory believe you were in fact unable to see, you were blind to the obvious, in any sense;
• You may read that as a reason to assume that there was any type of really slippery slope there, but without further indication;
• In the best case this would signify a multitude of divergences or differences to what you may “expect” (more you could ever cope with);
• In the worst case this would signify all sorts of other troubles and disabilities and whatnot (far more you could ever cope with);
• In any case this would not just mean that I just like sunflowers, which then would mean that I may wear other hidden signals as well (which is not anything to advertise anyway because then nothing would be hidden!?)

So y’all want us to wear signs of being outcasts? Go away. Hush. Hush. Beware of those without SUNFLOWER.