SeaLink Marine & Tourism Joins Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program to Help Support Guests with Non-Visible Disabilities

Today, on International Day of People with Disabilities, SeaLink Marine & Tourism proudly announces it has joined the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program, an international initiative that helps individuals with non-visible disabilities discreetly signal they may need additional assistance, patience, or understanding.

The Sunflower is a globally recognised, wearable symbol—often seen on a lanyard, wristband, or lapel pin—that indicates a person may have a disability not immediately apparent. Designed to help approximately 1.3 billion people worldwide who live with a disability, the program acknowledges that many conditions, whether neurological, cognitive, physical, or sensory-related, can impact individuals in various ways and often remain unseen. Through this initiative, SeaLink aims to empower guests who may need extra support to engage fully in their travel experience.

“As one of Australia’s largest marine and tourism operators, the SeaLink Marine & Tourism family welcomes more than 9 million people annually on our various experiences across 21 locations, where our goal is to provide brilliant, memorable and positive experiences to all of our guests,” said Donna Gauci, CEO of SeaLink Marine & Tourism.

“Joining the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program strengthens our commitment to diversity and inclusion across our brands and locations. We’re genuinely excited to join this initiative in many of our business units in 2025, ensuring every one of our guests feel supported when visiting and experiencing Australia’s iconic holiday destinations or getting wherever they need to go,” Ms Gauci continued

With over 2,000 employees, SeaLink Marine & Tourism operates a diverse range of brands including SeaLink ferries, Captain Cook Cruises on Sydney Harbour and the Swan River in Perth, the PS Murray Princess on the Murray River, Kingfisher Bay Resort on K’gari (Fraser Island), and Whitsunday-based brands Red Cat Adventures and Whitsunday Jetski Tours. The SeaLink Marine & Tourism portfolio operates in locations from Sydney to Brisbane, the Whitsundays to Townsville, Kangaroo Island to Adelaide and the Murray River, Rottnest Island, Darwin, Bruny Island and beyond, with its businesses working to embrace inclusivity through the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower initiative in the coming year.

SeaLink Marine & Tourism will have trained team members who can discreetly identify guests in need of extra support. Participating SeaLink locations will have visible identifiers, and SeaLink team members who have completed training will be identifiable by their white Sunflower Supporter lanyards or pins and able to provide additional assistance if required, ensuring a warm and welcoming environment.

“With 1 in 5 Australians (or 1 in 6 people worldwide) who identify as having a disability, it is estimated that 80-85 percent are not identifiable by the use of a wheelchair, walking sick, hearing aid, seeing-eye dog etc. That means that roughly 15% of our population have a disability, medical condition or disorder that we may not be aware. This includes customers, colleagues, friends and family who may need assistance or support at any given time. We’re thrilled SeaLink Marine & Tourism has joined the Sunflower program, helping to make Australia’s iconic travel experiences more inclusive and accessible for everyone and contributing to building a more inclusive society,” said Justin Bruce Director HD Sunflower Aus/NZ

To learn more about SeaLink Marine & Tourism’s locations and brands, visit www.sealink.com.au.

For more on the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program, visit https://hdsunflower.com/au/.