DPNA and the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Lanyard are not the same thing. Both can be relevant when an autistic person or another traveller with a non-visible disability is flying, but they communicate different information and work in different ways.
DPNA is an airline Special Service Request, or SSR, code. It can be added to a passenger’s booking to indicate that a passenger with an intellectual or developmental disability needs assistance.
The Sunflower Lanyard is a visible symbol indicating that the wearer has a non-visible disability and may need additional support, understanding or time. It is not an airline booking code and does not automatically create an airport assistance booking.
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For some travellers, using both makes sense: DPNA can communicate assistance requirements through the airline reservation, while the Sunflower can make a non-visible disability easier for trained staff to recognise during the journey.
DPNA Code or Sunflower Lanyard at a Glance
| . | DPNA | Sunflower Lanyard |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? | An airline Special Service Request code | A visible symbol for non-visible disabilities |
| Where is it? | Recorded in the airline reservation system | Worn or carried by the traveller |
| Who sees it? | Relevant airline, airport and assistance staff who can access booking/service information | Anyone who recognises the Sunflower symbol |
| Does it book assistance? | It can form part of a formal airline assistance request | No |
| Is it autism-specific? | No, but autism is among the conditions associated with DPNA | No |
| Can you use both? | Yes. They can complement each other. | |
What Does DPNA Mean?
DPNA is a Special Service Request code used in air travel for a passenger with an invisible disability who needs assistance. Current IATA material lists examples associated with DPNA including autism, Alzheimer’s disease and learning difficulties. The code is about the assistance requirement rather than providing airport staff with a detailed diagnosis.
DPNA can be added to an airline booking when appropriate so that assistance needs are communicated through the reservation and operational process.
Importantly, IATA’s guidance on accessibility SSRs emphasises identifying the service a passenger needs rather than trying to diagnose the passenger. When requesting assistance, describe what will actually help during the journey.
You can book special assistance during the booking process, by contacting your airline or by using the PRM Assist app.
What Is the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Lanyard?
The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower is a voluntary symbol used to indicate that someone has a non-visible disability and may need extra support, patience or understanding. The scheme is now recognised in many airports and other organisations around the world, although recognition is not universal.
The lanyard does not tell staff exactly what disability a person has. This can be useful for travellers who want to signal that they may need support without repeatedly explaining a diagnosis to everyone they meet.
You can learn more about the Sunflower Lanuard and how it works in my guide.
Biggest Difference Between DPNA and the Sunflower Lanyard
The easiest way to understand the difference is to think about where the information sits.
DPNA sits within the passenger’s travel booking. It is information used within airline and assistance processes.
The Sunflower Lanyard sits with the traveller. Staff can see it even if they have not looked at the passenger’s booking.
That means one does not automatically replace the other.
Does a Sunflower Lanyard Book Special Assistance?
No. Wearing a Sunflower Lanyard should not be treated as a substitute for formally requesting airport or airline assistance. If a passenger needs specific support, contact the airline and request it in advance. Explain what assistance is required rather than relying on staff noticing the lanyard on the day.
Our guide to airport special assistance for hidden disabilities explains the process in more detail.
Does DPNA Mean You Need a Sunflower Lanyard?
No. A passenger can have DPNA recorded without wearing a Sunflower Lanyard.
The Sunflower is voluntary. Some travellers find it helpful because staff can recognise that there may be a non-visible disability. Others prefer not to wear a visible disability symbol.
The decision should be based on what makes the traveller’s journey easier, not on an assumption that everyone with DPNA should wear one.
Can You Use the DPNA Code and Sunflower Lanyard Together?
Yes, and for some autistic travellers this can be a useful combination.
DPNA can communicate the need for assistance through the booking and is a formal assistance request, while the Sunflower can act as an immediate visual cue when interacting with check-in staff, security officers, assistance teams, gate staff and others who recognise the scheme.
Neither tells staff everything they need to know. You should still explain practical requirements where necessary.
What Help Can DPNA Provide?
The exact assistance attached to a DPNA request depends on the passenger’s needs and the services available through the airline and airport.
Useful support might involve help navigating an unfamiliar terminal, clearer communication, assistance during airport processes or support reaching the correct gate.
Do not assume that the code guarantees a particular route through security, access to a quiet room, queue skipping or early boarding. These arrangements vary between airports and airlines.
When requesting assistance, describe the practical problem. For example, saying that a child cannot safely remain in a long crowded queue gives staff more useful information than simply saying that the child is autistic.
For more guidance about travelling with an autistic child you can refer to my dedicated guide.
What Help Does the Sunflower Lanyard Provide?
The Sunflower is primarily a communication tool. It signals that the wearer has a non-visible disability and may need a little more time, support or understanding.
At an airport where staff are trained to recognise the scheme, this may make it easier to explain why a traveller needs instructions repeated, additional processing time or a more patient approach.
It does not guarantee a specific service. A Sunflower Lanyard should not be interpreted as an automatic fast-track pass, priority boarding card or entitlement to bypass airport procedures.
Does DPNA Give You Fast Track?
Not automatically.
An airport may have a dedicated assistance route or other arrangements for disabled passengers that are quicker than the standard route to your gate, but this varies. DPNA itself is not a universal security fast-track code.
Ask the airport or assistance provider what route will be used if waiting in standard queues creates a significant difficulty.
Does the Sunflower Lanyard Give You Fast Track?
No. The Sunflower is not a universal fast-track pass.
Some airports have local procedures for passengers with hidden disabilities, and these may include alternative routes in certain circumstances. Other airports do not.
Check the airport’s own accessibility guidance before travelling rather than relying on experiences reported at another airport.
You can find my airport assistance guides and details of disabled airport facilities in my guide to airport assistance and disabled facilities around the world.
Does DPNA Mean Priority Boarding?
DPNA does not universally guarantee priority boarding.
A disabled passenger may be offered pre-boarding or additional boarding time where this is appropriate and available. If boarding before the main crowd is important, explain why when arranging assistance and confirm the process at the gate.
It is important to note that those travelling with assistance can sometimes board before other passengers, but it is typically a seperate system than the standard priority boarding system which usually depends on paying an extra fee to board first.
Does the Sunflower Lanyard Mean Priority Boarding?
No. Wearing the lanyard does not automatically create priority-boarding entitlement.
Airline boarding policies differ, and staff may not know what support the passenger needs from the lanyard alone. Ask for pre-boarding separately if it is required.
DPNA for Autistic Passengers
Autism is one of the examples included in IATA’s description of DPNA, but not every autistic passenger needs airport assistance. For those who do, the useful question is not simply whether the person is autistic. It is what parts of the airport journey create barriers.
An autistic passenger might need help because they cannot navigate the terminal independently, become overwhelmed in dense queues, struggle to process rapidly delivered verbal instructions or find unexpected changes particularly difficult.
Another autistic passenger may need no assistance at all. Support should be individual rather than based on assumptions about autism.
The Sunflower Lanyard for Autistic Passengers
Some autistic people find the Sunflower useful because their disability and support needs are not immediately apparent and this allows more privacy.
It can reduce the need to begin every interaction by explaining that there is a disability. A parent may also find it useful for signalling that a child’s behaviour or communication is related to a non-visible disability.
Other autistic people dislike wearing lanyards, find them uncomfortable or do not want a visible symbol identifying them as potentially needing support. The Sunflower Lanyard should remain a choice.
What if an Autistic Child Will Not Wear a Lanyard?
Do not make the lanyard itself another sensory demand. There are now some alternatives to the lanyard – like a smaller strap suitable for the wrist or for attaching to a bag.
Depending on the scheme and what you have available, the Sunflower symbol may be carried in another recognised format rather than around the neck. There are also many parents who will wear the Sunflower Lanyard on behalf of their child. More importantly, formal assistance can still be requested without wearing a Sunflower.
DPNA does not depend on the passenger wearing a lanyard.
Do You Need Proof of Disability for DPNA?
Airline procedures and legal requirements differ between countries, so avoid assuming the same documentation rules apply everywhere.
When requesting accessibility assistance, focus on the passenger’s functional needs. Airlines may ask questions needed to arrange the service safely, but IATA’s best-practice guidance stresses determining what service the passenger needs rather than relying on a disagnosis.
Check the airline’s current assistance policy if it requests documentation or medical clearance.
Do You Need Proof of Disability for a Sunflower Lanyard?
The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower is intended for people with non-visible disabilities, conditions or impairments. It is not a medical certificate.
Individual airports may have their own procedures for distributing Sunflower products, so check the airport’s website if you plan to collect one there.
Buying or obtaining a lanyard does not usually require any proof of a diagnosis.
What Should You Request Instead of Just Saying “DPNA”?
You can mention DPNA when speaking with an airline, but it is usually more useful to describe the assistance needed.
For example:
- “My child is autistic and needs help navigating the airport.”
- “They cannot safely manage a long, crowded queue.”
- “Please give instructions one step at a time and allow extra processing time.”
- “We need to know where we can wait somewhere quieter if the gate area becomes overwhelming.”
- “Boarding with the main crowd is very difficult. Is pre-boarding available?”
- “We are travelling with a disability pushchair, what information do you need about it?”
This gives the airline and assistance provider practical information they can use.
You can learn more about travel with a special needs pushchair in my guides: travelling with a disability pushchair and what to include on a doctors letter for a disability pushchair.
When Should You Request DPNA?
Arrange assistance as early as practical and follow the airline’s published notice requirements.
For journeys covered by UK and European assistance rules, passengers are generally encouraged to provide at least 48 hours’ notice so the relevant organisations can plan the service.
Check that the request applies to every flight sector, particularly when you have connections or flights operated by different airlines.
When Should You Get a Sunflower Lanyard?
You can organise the Sunflower Lanyard before travel or check whether your departure airport provides official Sunflower products. The Sunflower Lanyards from the airport are usually free of charge.
Recognition also varies internationally. A lanyard familiar to staff at a UK airport may not receive the same response everywhere in the world. This is especially true in Spain where they use the AENA hidden disability badge.
What Happens at Airport Check-in?
If DPNA assistance has been requested, confirm at check-in or the airport’s designated assistance point that the request is visible and ask what happens next.
Wearing a Sunflower Lanyard can make the non-visible disability easier to recognise, but still tell staff that assistance has been booked.
Do not assume the person at check-in automatically knows every detail recorded elsewhere in the journey.
What Happens at Security?
Neither the DPNA or Sunflower Lanyard removes the requirement to complete security screening.
What can change is how support is provided during the process. Depending on the airport, assistance staff may accompany the passenger or security staff may be able to make reasonable adjustments to communication and processing.
Tell staff before screening begins if touch, separation from a parent, sudden instructions or removing particular items is likely to cause difficulty.
DPNA Code or Sunflower Lanyard During Flight Connections
Connections are one of the strongest reasons to make sure formal assistance is recorded rather than relying only on a lanyard.
A connection may involve a different terminal, security screening, immigration, a bus gate or an unfamiliar airport where the Sunflower Lanyard is less widely recognised.
Confirm assistance for the full itinerary and ask what will happen when you leave the first aircraft.
DPNA vs Sunflower When Travelling Internationally
Both the DPNA code or Sunflower Lanyard can work differently across borders.
DPNA is part of international airline SSR terminology, but the exact assistance delivered depends on the airline, airport, local provider and applicable law.
The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower is internationally recognised by many participating organisations, but it is not universal. Staff at an airport that does not participate or where awareness is limited may not understand the symbol.
For international travel, formal assistance arrangements and direct communication are particularly important.
What if Staff Do Not Recognise the Sunflower Lanyard?
Explain briefly that it indicates a non-visible disability and state the assistance needed.
A useful sentence might be: “My child has a non-visible disability and needs extra processing time. Please give one instruction at a time.”
Do not depend on the lanyard being recognised everywhere.
You can learn more about disability phrases and download the free Lonely Planet translation eBook from my guide to learning key disability phrases before you travel.
What if DPNA is Missing From the Booking?
Passenger-facing apps do not always display every SSR code, so the absence of a visible code does not necessarily mean the request is missing.
Contact the airline and ask them to confirm that the assistance request is recorded for every flight sector on your booking. More importantly, ask staff to confirm the practical assistance that has been requested.
Keep written confirmation of your assistance bookings where available.
Which Is Better: DPNA or the Sunflower Lanyard?
The DPNA code and the Sunflower Lanyard solve different problems, so there is no meaningful winner.
If a passenger needs formal airport or airline assistance, arranging that assistance is more important than relying on a visible symbol. The DPNA code may form part of how the airline records the request.
The Sunflower Lanyard can then add a useful visual signal during face-to-face interactions.
For a passenger who does not need formal assistance but would benefit from staff showing greater patience or awareness, the Sunflower Lanyard may be useful on its own.
Should You Use Both the DPNA Code and the Sunflower Lanyard?
For many families travelling with an autistic child who needs airport support, using both the DPNA code and the Sunflower Lanyard can be sensible.
Think of the process in three layers:
- Book the assistance. Tell the airline what the passenger needs and make sure the appropriate assistance information is recorded.
- Use the Sunflower if it helps. It can give trained staff an immediate visual indication of a non-visible disability.
- Communicate specific needs on the day. Remind staff what works, particularly at security, boarding and during disruption.
This is more reliable than expecting either a four-letter code or a lanyard to explain an individual’s needs by itself.
FAQ About the DPNA Code or Sunflower Lanyard
Do you Is DPNA the Same as the Sunflower Lanyard?
No. DPNA is an airline SSR code used in connection with passengers with intellectual or developmental disabilities who need assistance. The Sunflower is a visible symbol indicating a non-visible disability and possible need for extra support, time or understanding.
Can I Use a Sunflower Lanyard Without DPNA?
Yes. The Sunflower is not dependent on an airline SSR. However, wearing it does not book official airport assistance.
Can I Have DPNA Without Wearing a Sunflower?
Yes. The Sunflower is voluntary and is not required for DPNA assistance.
Does an Autistic Passenger Automatically Need DPNA?
No. Autism is included among the examples associated with DPNA, but assistance should be based on the individual traveller’s needs. Some autistic passengers travel without airport assistance.
Does a Sunflower Lanyard Mean Autism?
No. The Sunflower represents a wide range of non-visible disabilities, conditions and impairments. It does not identify a specific diagnosis.
Does the DPNA Code or Sunflower Lanyard Skip Security Queues?
Neither provides a universal right to skip security queues. Airports may have alternative assistance routes or local procedures, so check the specific airport’s accessibility information.
DPNA and the Sunflower Lanyard work best when you understand their different purposes. DPNA can help communicate a formal assistance requirement through the airline booking, while the Sunflower Lanyard provides a visible signal that a traveller has a non-visible disability and may need additional understanding. Neither replaces a clear explanation of what the passenger actually needs. For families who need structured airport support, arrange assistance first and treat the Sunflower as an optional additional communication tool.
Continue Planning Your Travels With Autistic Kids
- Find out about the help available if you are travelling through an airport
- Discover whether a cruise with an autistic child would work for your family
- Find out how to make travelling with ADHD manageable
- Learn more about the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Lanyard
- Check out guides to all of the different destinations we have travelled to with autistic children
- Learn step-by-step how to set up the accessibility feature on Google maps
- Learn more about our favourite sensory toys for travelling
- Discover an app that helps you locate a playground anywhere in the world
- Always alerted at the last minute that the little one needs a toilet? Find a toilet anywhere with this app
Continue Planning Your Accessible Trip With My Guides
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