Accessible Northwich is all about town centre organisations working together with businesses to make Northwich even more welcoming and inclusive for visitors and shoppers.
To help with this, Northwich has joined the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Scheme which aims to highlight that not all disabilities are visible.
Tell me more about the scheme
Some disabilities are invisible and not immediately obvious, such as learning difficulties, mental health as well as mobility, speech, visual or hearing impairments. Living with an invisible disability can make daily life more demanding for many people, but it can be difficult for others to identify, acknowledge or understand the challenges faced.
Wearing the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower, which is the scheme’s symbol, discreetly indicates to those around, including staff, colleagues and health professionals, that the wearer may need additional support, help or a little more time.
Set up in 2016, the initiative has really helped to raise awareness of the challenges faced by adults and children with invisible disabilities. By getting involved, Northwich has become one of the first ‘Sunflower Friendly’ towns in the UK.
Tell me more about the scheme
Some disabilities are invisible and not immediately obvious, such as learning difficulties, mental health as well as mobility, speech, visual or hearing impairments. Living with an invisible disability can make daily life more demanding for many people, but it can be difficult for others to identify, acknowledge or understand the challenges faced.
Wearing the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower, which is the scheme’s symbol, discreetly indicates to those around, including staff, colleagues and health professionals, that the wearer may need additional support, help or a little more time.
Set up in 2016, the initiative has really helped to raise awareness of the challenges faced by adults and children with invisible disabilities. By getting involved, Northwich has become one of the first ‘Sunflower Friendly’ towns in the UK.
Tell me more about the scheme
Some disabilities are invisible and not immediately obvious, such as learning difficulties, mental health as well as mobility, speech, visual or hearing impairments. Living with an invisible disability can make daily life more demanding for many people, but it can be difficult for others to identify, acknowledge or understand the challenges faced.
Wearing the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower, which is the scheme’s symbol, discreetly indicates to those around, including staff, colleagues and health professionals, that the wearer may need additional support, help or a little more time.
Set up in 2016, the initiative has really helped to raise awareness of the challenges faced by adults and children with invisible disabilities. By getting involved, Northwich has become one of the first ‘Sunflower Friendly’ towns in the UK.
What's Northwich doing?
Working together, Northwich Business Improvement District, Northwich Town Council, Barons Quay and Rotary in Northwich have helped distribute Hidden Disabilities Sunflower lanyards to shops, hospitality businesses and public buildings which people can pick up with no questions asked.
Training has also been made available for businesses so they can gain a better understanding of what an invisible disability is and enable staff to be confident to approach and support people who are wearing a Hidden Disabilities Sunflower product.
All businesses involved in the scheme will also display a sticker in the window of their premises which shows they’re participating.
As well as this, Northwich Town Council has worked with local schools to organise a Sunflower growing competition, and both Transition Northwich and Weigh of the World will be helping to distribute Sunflower seeds so people can grow their own plants at home to help spread awareness.
Transition Northwich are also running a ‘Sunflower Streets’ project throughout May, inviting local people to grow and share sunflowers to help build a connection throughout communities.
Tell me more about the scheme
Some disabilities are invisible and not immediately obvious, such as learning difficulties, mental health as well as mobility, speech, visual or hearing impairments. Living with an invisible disability can make daily life more demanding for many people, but it can be difficult for others to identify, acknowledge or understand the challenges faced.
Wearing the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower, which is the scheme’s symbol, discreetly indicates to those around, including staff, colleagues and health professionals, that the wearer may need additional support, help or a little more time.
Set up in 2016, the initiative has really helped to raise awareness of the challenges faced by adults and children with invisible disabilities. By getting involved, Northwich has become one of the first ‘Sunflower Friendly’ towns in the UK.
Who's Sunflower Friendly?
Please check out the current list of those involved below. You can also pick up your lanyards and ID cards from the highlighted businesses.
A J Hitch & Co Ltd T/A Vinnies
BEAR
Buccaneer Group
Crafty Stitches Ltd
CRS Consultants Ltd
D&T School & Workwear
Dante’s Boutique
Grape & Bean
Kanya Bistro
Nigel Bailey Hair
Northwich Library
Northwich Town Council (Roker Park)
NorthwichVapour
Rotary in Northwich
Solutions 24-7 Ltd
Spatial Sound and Vision
Store 101
Sunnybbq ltd
The Wow Shop
Vitality Hearing
Weigh of the World
Witton Chimes
Tell me more about the scheme
Some disabilities are invisible and not immediately obvious, such as learning difficulties, mental health as well as mobility, speech, visual or hearing impairments. Living with an invisible disability can make daily life more demanding for many people, but it can be difficult for others to identify, acknowledge or understand the challenges faced.
Wearing the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower, which is the scheme’s symbol, discreetly indicates to those around, including staff, colleagues and health professionals, that the wearer may need additional support, help or a little more time.
Set up in 2016, the initiative has really helped to raise awareness of the challenges faced by adults and children with invisible disabilities. By getting involved, Northwich has become one of the first ‘Sunflower Friendly’ towns in the UK.
How you can get involved
Businesses
If you’re a Northwich BID business and would like to get involved in the scheme, please email [email protected].
General Public
If you can, please spread awareness online by sharing our content and by letting other people know about the scheme. You could also have a go at growing your own sunflower and share pictures of its progress with us which we can post on social media.