BIAA and TeachAids Host Inaugural Clubhouse Room to Raise Awareness

On most days, people with brain injury feel like they’re living with an invisible illness. While they may look fine on the outside, they could be dealing with chronic headache, concentration or attention problems, depression, anxiety, difficulty regulating emotions – the list goes on. How do you promote understanding of a condition that is so much more than just a bump on the head?

Raising awareness of brain injury and its various causes has been part of the Brain Injury Association of America’s (BIAA) mission since it was established more than four decades ago. Every March, BIAA leads the nation in observing Brain Injury Awareness Month. BIAA’s newest awareness campaign, More Than My Brain Injury, aims to empower individuals with brain injuries – including concussions – to share their own personal stories.

In celebration of the campaign, BIAA joined with TeachAids to launch the CrashCourse Concussion Story Wall. This groundbreaking product features an interactive database of more than 4,000 video stories told by individuals who sustained concussions (also known as mild traumatic brain injuries), their caregivers, and professionals in the field. In lieu of a launch party, the organizations hosted a Clubhouse room March 12. The room, “More Than My Brain Injury: Creating Community” had a panel of professionals, survivors, and advocates on stage who talked about the Concussion Story Wall and the role of storytelling in creating community.

Moderated by TeachAids Chairman Shuman Ghosemajumder, the panel featured Greg Ayotte, BIAA’s Director of Consumer Services; Dr. Dan Daneshvar, Harvard Medical School Faculty, Director of the TeachAids Institute for Brain Research and Innovation; Dr. Brenda Eagan-Johnson, member of BIAA’s Academy of Certified Brain Injury Specialists board of governors; and Coach Dick Gould, 17-time NCAA Men’s Tennis Championship Coach at Stanford, emeritus, TeachAids Vice Chair.

The panel also included two individuals with brain injury: Alison Tetrick, world-class champion cyclist, and Holden Gibbons, military veteran and CEO of KarmaBoard. Both Alison and Holden shared their stories during the event and as part of the Concussion Story Wall. Once the panelists had finished speaking, the room opened up and allowed people on stage for a Q&A session. Many individuals with brain injury raised their hands, shared their stories, and thanked the panelists for their work.

Like the More Than My Brain Injury campaign, the CrashCourse Concussion Story Wall is intended to help others develop an understanding of brain injury and appreciation for the whole person. The Clubhouse room provided a unique opportunity for attendees to learn about the product and make personal connections without the burden of having to ‘perform’ for an on-screen audience, as is required with video-based platforms. It also allowed the organizations to reach new people and create community in an exciting, innovative way.