By Nicole Ward, Data Journalist, Research & Innovation
Note: This story was originally published by Dallas Innovates.
With more than 2,000 sunflower lanyards—worn by travelers who may need extra time, space, or support—already issued, and sensory rooms in development, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW Airport) is creating a travel experience that recognizes different needs and reduces stress for all kinds of travelers.
“We’re trying to create that next phase of the personalized journey for all customers, including people with varying abilities,” said Maruchy Cantu, DFW Airport’s Executive Vice President of Administration.
Taking a multi-pronged approach to support all needs
Hidden Disabilities Sunflower, known by the sunflower-emblazoned lanyard, was started in 2016 at the London Gatwick Airport, allowing individuals to voluntarily share that they have a disability or condition that may not be immediately apparent and might need a helping hand, understanding, or more time. This program has since been adopted around the world by companies across industries, including banks, hotels and resorts, toy companies, transit, and more. In the first year of adoption at DFW Airport, more than 2,000 lanyards have been issued.
“We average about 100 requests per month,” said Candra Schatz, DFW Airport’s Assistant Vice President for Safety and Leave Administration. “But it fluctuates seasonally. Last June, for example, we sent out 500.”
Free of charge and mailed directly to passengers’ homes, the sunflower lanyard signals to airport staff that the person wearing it may have difficulty getting where they need to go because of a cognitive, auditory, speech, or other non-apparent difference.
For non-verbal people in particular, the accompanying plastic card that comes with the lanyard can be another key to success in an airport environment. The card identifies the person’s difference, so that staff members know how to provide assistance.
DFW Airport also has sensory rooms in which people can decompress if they get overwhelmed by auditory or visual distractions.
Cantu and her team are also thinking about proximity to pet relief areas for people traveling with service animals. Demand for space is high, and the airport needs to be strategic to get this right. Cantu is also taking note of how other airports are exploring their accommodations for travelers with different needs.
“We’re working really hard to make sure we’re creating solutions to address travelers’ pain points in a way that can remove friction from their travel experience,” said Catrina Gilbert, Vice President of Enterprise Risk Management.
While it will take time to work out logistics, space to build sensory rooms has already been committed. The team hopes the first couple of rooms will be ready for use in early 2026.
“We understand that we can’t be everything to everyone, but we’re listening to the community to ensure that we are serving the needs of the traveling public,” said Schatz.
Disability inclusion isn’t only for passengers; it’s also for workers
“In addition to our external-facing programs, we added our eighth Employee Resource Group, ABLE, last October,” Schatz said.
ABLE, or Accessible Barrier-free Life for Everyone, supports employees who have disabilities as well as employees who are in a caregiving role for someone with disabilities. This group will also help the airport identify organization-wide solutions to attract talent from segments of the community that are historically overlooked. As of early 2025, 50 employees have already joined the resource group.
Airport staff are trained to interact with people with disabilities
Airport staff know the importance of continual training with frontline team members, airline ambassadors, and Transportation Security Administration workers.
“Training is about being aware and keeping empathy top of mind, as well as understanding that all travelers may not communicate in the expected way,” said Gilbert.
Disability inclusion is good for the bottom line
Delivering more personalized solutions through multiple platforms to show consideration of all people’s abilities is just good business. And as DFW Airport demonstrates, it doesn’t have to happen all at once. When an organization implements strategic changes based on research, it makes them more than a public relations tactic. This kind of authenticity can set businesses apart from industry peers.
According to the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower website, more than 90 percent of lanyard wearers are more likely to visit a participating partner that is part of the network.
Whether it’s a global program or a company-specific initiative, taking steps to represent the disability community — estimated at 1.3 billion people worldwide — is not just nice to do. It’s critical to stay competitive.
To learn more about how your business can improve your disability inclusion, visit the Dallas Regional Chamber’s Disability Inclusion Toolkit.