For those with invisible disability, a sunflower lanyard may not immediately tell people what they need to hear about your life experience.

At first glance, Michael* looks like any other 72-year-old enjoying his retirement. He walks unaided, holds lively conversations and meets friends for coffee weekly. What you don’t see is the constant mental fog from chronic fatigue syndrome, the sensory overwhelm triggered by loud noises and the daily battle with nerve pain from fibromyalgia. Michael has an invisible disability, one that’s real, debilitating and often dismissed.