Every September we draw awareness to spinal cord injury (SCI) for multiple reasons: prevention, advocacy, community, and research for treatments for paralysis.
Whether or not you have an SCI, knowledge is power. When you know how these injuries occur, you can take better precautions to prevent them. When you are aware of the challenges faced by the SCI community, you can advocate for change where it’s needed. When you sustain a new injury, you can find your community, and even if you’ve been injured for years, SCI Awareness Month brings new opportunities to connect with that community, and find resources you may need.
The first National Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month was designated in September 2014.
Approximately 311,560 people currently live with SCI in the US, according to the latest data sheet published by the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center. About 78% of all new cases occur in males. Vehicle crashes account for 37.3% of SCI followed by falls at 32%
SCI Awareness Month is a great time to call attention to the barriers individuals with SCI face in society, such as systemic gaps in healthcare, infrastructure, and social policy. It presents an opportunity to educate general practitioners and medical facilities which often lack training regarding SCI complications like autonomic dysreflexia and spasticity, and to address the ways standard medical diagnostic tools (such as examination tables) and office layouts often fail to accommodate patients with SCI.
During SCI Awareness Month we can also address barriers like inaccessible physical work environments and unreliable public transportation that severely restricts job retention and career entry, as well as public infrastructure, such as the lack of universal design in housing, curb cut outs, and ramps.
As for creating community, the widespread use of the #SCIAwarenessMonth hashtag creates a digital gathering space for sharing personal narratives and milestones. Seeing others post about navigating their communities, managing secondary complications, or implementing “life hacks” helps newly injured individuals feel understood, and social media campaigns give prominent advocates and content creators who are thriving with SCI a platform to demonstrate proof of a fulfilling life with SCI.
Major national foundations like the United Spinal Association and the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation maximize their outreach during September. Those who may not know where to turn find listings for localized virtual or in-person adaptive recreation programs, support groups, and medical resource networks. Campaigns highlight training opportunities for those thriving with SCI to become certified peer mentors.
September sees a surge in events designed exclusively around inclusion and shared experiences. Nonprofits host educational webinars & interactive forums that allow participants to communicate directly with medical experts too. Community 5Ks, wheelchair navigation challenges, and sports expos allow individuals with SCI, caregivers, and allies to connect. Forums where individuals and caregivers can speak directly to clinicians, developers, and scientists allows individuals with SCI to be active participants in the future of their own care.
This September, you can take part. Use the hashtag #SCIAwarenessMonth to make virtual connections or find events in your area.
You can also create an event of your own to educate local healthcare facilities. Consider a formal presentation where you, a caregiver, and an SCI specialist or representative from an organization like the United Spinal Association present to clinicians. Focus on systemic blind spots, such as autonomic dysreflexia recognition or specialized bowel/bladder management. Another option to consider may be an information expo in the lobby.
Ask about setting up an educational table in the main entrance or cafeteria corridor during peak hours. You can distribute quick-reference guides, display adaptive equipment, and chat with staff moving between shifts. You can also ask about a casual seminar targeting specific departments (e.g., ER nurses, physical therapists, or general practitioners). Offer simple refreshments or secure a sponsor to provide food.
To educate your community about barriers in infrastructure, consider attending a town meeting in September. Invite your city council members, town planners, and local business owners to navigate a specific downtown block or public park using a wheelchair. Partner with a medical supply company or a local rehabilitation center to loan manual wheelchairs for the event. Have participants try to enter a local shop, use a public restroom, or cross an intersection.
You can educate local businesses too. Business owners often want to be more accessible but don’t know where to start or assume compliance with basic laws is enough. Consider creating simple, friendly informational cards that focus on quick fixes, like keeping pathways clear. Your town’s Chamber of Commerce might even be willing to publicly reward businesses that go above and beyond standard ADA requirements with a “Certified Accessible” sticker for their storefront windows!
This September, let’s increase community, awareness, inclusion and accessibility together! Contact our team at The Spinal Cord Injury Law Firm, PLLC for more information.
Phone: