Significant Days
Brain Injury Awareness Week (Australia) 21st – 27th of August
Brain Injury Awareness Week aims to increase the understanding and knowledge of the Acquired Brain Injury in the Australian community. There is a theme each year which focuses on a particular aspect of brain injury and its impact.
https://synapse.org.au/brain-injury-awareness-week
Other Significants Dates
World Encephalitis Day February 22
World Encephalitis Day is the global awareness day for people who have been directly or indirectly affected by encephalitis. Founded by The Encephalitis Society in 2014, it is held on February 22 each year and has reached over 186 million people through media features, events and social media. It is our hope that it will play a leading role in our mission to increase global awareness of encephalitis and therefore saving lives and building better futures.
Brain Injury Awareness Month (United States) March
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.
World Head Injury Awareness Day March 20
Every year on 20 March, we commemorate World Head Injury Awareness Day, which helps us keep in mind those who have suffered anything from a mild head bump to severe brain injury. The aim of this day is to remind us how and where possible we could play our role in reducing accidents and brain injuries.
Purple day, raising awareness of Epilepsy March 26
Purple Day (26th March) is a global initiative dedicated to raising epilepsy awareness. Purple Day was founded in 2008, by nine-year-old Cassidy Megan of Nova Scotia, Canada. Motivated by her own struggles with epilepsy, Cassidy started Purple Day to get people talking about the condition and to let those impacted by seizures know that they are not alone. She named the day, Purple Day after the internationally recognised colour for epilepsy, lavender. Purple Day has grown into a well known and supported national awareness day with thousands of people across Australia gathering within their community, education and corporate sectors to raise much needed awareness and funds for those affected by epilepsy.
International Chronic Pain and Fatigue Awareness Day May 12
May 12th is the International Awareness Day for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), and Chronic Immunological and Neurological Diseases (CIND). Since 1992 Florence Nightingale’s birthday has been recognised as a time to draw attention to these illnesses, as she is believed to have suffered from a ME/CFS-like illness in her mid-thirties. Florence Nightingale was bedridden for the majority of her life due to the illness. The illnesses that are included under the Chronic Immunological and Neurological Diseases (CIND) umbrella are ME/CFS, Fibromyalgia, Lyme disease, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and Gulf War Syndrome.
World MS Day  May 30
World MS Day brings the global MS community together on 30 May to share stories, raise awareness and campaign with everyone affected by multiple sclerosis (MS).
National Stroke Week (Australia) 1st week in September
During National Stroke Week we celebrate thousands of F.A.S.T. Heroes who help spread the message about the F.A.S.T. (Face, Arms, Speech and Time) signs of stroke to millions of Australians. The Stroke Foundation thanks you for playing an important role in spreading a potentially lifesaving message.
World Stroke Day October 29
#1in4 of us could have a stroke, but being active helps to reduce our risk. That’s why we’re asking people to Join the MoveMent and be a part of the world’s biggest dance chain on #WorldStrokeDay Oct 29th
AVM (arteriovenous malformation) Awareness month October
Happy October! All spooks aside, we at Push to Walk (PTW) would like to do our part to bring awareness to AVM. After all, it is an AVM Awareness Month as well. An arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is a rare disease (affecting 18 out of every 100,000 people in the US) characterized by tangled blood vessels that connect arteries and veins. These tangles disrupt normal blood flow and oxygen circulation and can develop anywhere in the body but are most commonly found afflicting a person’s brain or spine.
International Day of People with Disability December 3
International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) is held on 3 December each year. IDPwD is a United Nations observed day celebrated internationally. It aims to increase public awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with disability and celebrate their achievements and contributions. The Australian Government has been supporting IDPwD since 1996 and provides funds to promote and raise awareness of the day around Australia. Information on how you can get involved in the day as an individual or organisation and how to break down barriers (both structural and attitudinal) for people with disability can be found on this website.
