With a traumatic brain injury occurring every 23 seconds, this public health concern ranks as the leading cause of death and disability in children and young adults. For those who survive and their families, brain injury is life altering. Serious physical impairments are a frequent result, as are a variety of cognitive, behavioral and emotional complications. In addition, the costs related to brain injury are staggering. Individuals with severe brain injury typically face five to 10 years of intensive rehabilitation with cumulative costs exceeding $60 billion annually.

The Brain Injury Association of America was founded in 1980 by a group of individuals who wanted to improve the quality of life for their family members who had sustained brain injuries. Despite phenomenal growth during the past 25 years, the Association remains committed to its grassroots. The Brain Injury Association of America encompasses a national network of more than 40 chartered state affiliates across the country, as well as hundreds of local chapters and support groups.

The Brain Injury Association of America envisions a world where all preventable brain injuries are prevented, all unpreventable brain injuries are minimized and all individuals who have experienced brain injury maximize their quality of life.

By acting as a clearinghouse of community information and resources, participating in legislative advocacy, facilitating prevention awareness, hosting educational programs and encouraging research, the Brain Injury Association of America and its affiliates work to reach the millions of individuals living with the “silent epidemic” of brain injury.

The Brain Injury Association of America’s National Brain Injury Information Call Center receives approximately 15,000 inquiries each year from individuals with brain injury, family members and professionals seeking assistance, education and support. The call center is, for many, the first point of contact and support during the tumultuous times following a brain injury.

All of the Association’s chartered state affiliates deliver core services in their communities, including prevention, education, advocacy and support. The affiliates act as a clearinghouse of information and resources, often available to callers through statewide, toll-free telephone numbers.
The Brain Injury Association of America works collaboratively with several federal agencies, research universities, medical centers and national organizations to improve public policy, increase awareness of brain injury, provide valued constituent services and sustain and grow the Association’s programs.

The Association celebrates Brain Injury Awareness Month in March of each year, circulating 10,000 information kits nationwide. The Association publishes TBI Challenge!, a quarterly newsletter that is distributed to 25,000 households and educates its constituents with the Brain Injury Resource Center (BIRC), an interactive, computer-based, multimedia information system. Each year, the Association welcomes 1.8 million visitors to its website – biausa.org.

The Brain Injury Association of America provides comprehensive education about brain injury to audiences as diverse as physicians, rehabilitation specialists, trial lawyers and educators through on-site conferences, electronic webcasts and the highly acclaimed American Academy for the Certification of Brain Injury Specialists.

Currently, prevention is the only known cure for brain injury. Through programs geared to all age levels, the Association works in partnership with The Lynn Fund and Race 2 Safety to teach children and adults how to prevent brain injuries from occurring and to distribute bike helmets and other safety equipment. The Brain Injury Association of America represents its interest in brain injury prevention through participation in national coalitions, including the SafeUSA Planning Council, the Healthy People 2010 Consortium and the National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) national Bicycle Safety Network. Fact sheets and current information on brain injury prevention are provided on the Association’s website.

The Brain Injury Association of America is strongly committed to advocating at the federal, state and local levels of government on behalf of individuals with brain injury and their families. Chief among the Association’s legislative victories was the 1996 passage of the Traumatic Brain Injury Act, which was reauthorized by Congress in October 2000. The Association participates in a number of disability-related coalitions and played an important role in the passage of legislation as diverse as the Workforce Incentives Improvement Act and the Assistive Technology Act, while working to prevent the erosion of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which protects the constitutional rights of children and adults with brain injury.

The Brain Injury Association of America is proud of its 25-year record of public policy achievement, which has generated hundreds of millions of dollars for brain injury research, services and support. The Association recognizes the tireless advocacy efforts of individuals with brain injury, family members, researchers, clinicians, professionals and corporate sponsors. Much of the Association’s success is due to the hard work and generous support of these courageous people.