BIAA Celebrates Brain Injury Awareness Month
March 1, 2020
Vienna, Va. – Every March, the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) leads the nation in recognizing Brain Injury Awareness Month, a time to acknowledge and support the millions of Americans affected by brain injury. The theme for this year’s awareness campaign is Change Your Mind.
An acquired brain injury (ABI) is any injury to the brain that is not hereditary, congenital, degenerative, or induced by birth trauma. ABIs – from trauma, stroke, infectious diseases, and brain tumors – are a serious public health issue in the United States, where someone sustains a brain injury every nine seconds. According to available data, more than 5.3 million Americans live with brain injury-related disabilities at a cost exceeding $82 billion annually.
“For many, brain injury evolves into a chronic health condition that changes who they are and how they interact with the world,” offered Susan H. Connors, BIAA’s president and chief executive officer. “Raising awareness of the impact of brain injury and making sure people have access to the support they need is essential – not only in March, but throughout the year.”
The Change Your Mind campaign provides a platform for changing common misconceptions about brain injury, raising awareness about the incidence of brain injury and the needs of individuals who are injured, and offers tools to help advocate for access to care after brain injury. Information about Brain Injury Awareness Month, including educational material and downloadable collateral, is available at biausa.org/changeyourmind.
Individuals in need of information, resources, and support after brain injury may speak with a brain injury expert by contacting BIAA’s National Brain Injury Information Center (NBIIC) at 1-800-444-6443.
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About the Brain Injury Association of America:
The Brain Injury Association of America is the country’s oldest and largest nationwide brain injury advocacy organization. Our mission is to advance awareness, research, treatment, and education and to improve the quality of life for all people affected by brain injury. We are dedicated to increasing access to quality health care and raising awareness and understanding of brain injury.