Join the More Than My Brain Injury Campaign
The Brain Injury Association of America leads the nation in observing Brain Injury Awareness Month in March each year. The theme for the 2021 to 2023 campaign is More Than My Brain Injury.
The #MoreThanMyBrainInjury Campaign
Many people with disabilities have their lives defined for them. The #MoreThanMyBrainInjury campaign gives individuals a chance to overcome those definitions, allowing them to tell their own stories and change the narrative of their lives.
This Brain Injury Awareness Month, join the #MoreThanMyBrainInjury campaign in a way that feels uniquely you.
- Engage creatively. Whether you want to share your story in writing, post to social media, explore your artistic side, or amplify the voices of others, there are many different paths to raising awareness of brain injury. Click here to access the creative toolkit.
- Get another perspective. Read or watch the personal experiences of members of the brain injury community. Watch one of our social media live streams or download campaign collateral.
- Speak out. Advocates with a personal investment in the cause make the greatest champions. Why not write a letter to the editor or try to get a PSA aired on your local radio station? Click here for ways to engage the media.
- Mobilize. Lawmakers, activists, survivors, caretakers, and professionals joined in a virtual summit on Capitol Hill on March 16, 2022. BIAA, along with the National Association of State Head Injury Administrators and Congressional Brain Injury Task Force co-chairs Reps. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-N.J.) and Don Bacon (R-Neb.), hosted the briefing on the importance and value of advocacy. Review our 2022 Legislative Issue Briefs, watch the summit recording and then visit our Legislative Action Center to lobby your representatives.
- Do more. Ready to take the next step? Join the many BIAA supporters who are raising funds for brain injury services, support, and research all across the United States. Click here to start your fundraiser.
Why #MoreThanMyBrainInjury?
There are more than 5.3 million individuals in the United States who are living with a permanent brain injury-related disability. That’s one in every 60 people. If you or someone you love is living with brain injury, you know that it is a misunderstood, misdiagnosed, underfunded neurological disease, and everyone’s experience is different.
The #MoreThanMyBrainInjury campaign aims to:
Brain injury is a leading cause of death and disability in the U.S.
At least 2.8 million Americans sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year.
47.9%
are from falls
17.1%
are from being struck by or against something
13.2%
are from motor vehicle accidents
8.3%
are from assaults
13.2%
are from other or unknown causes
An acquired brain injury (ABI) is an injury to the brain that is not hereditary, congenital, degenerative, or induced by birth trauma. Essentially, this type of brain injury is one that has occurred after birth. There are two types of acquired brain injury: traumatic and non-traumatic.
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is defined as an alteration in brain function, or other evidence of brain pathology, caused by an external force or trauma. Traumatic impact injuries can be defined as closed (or non-penetrating) or open (penetrating).
Often – and somewhat confusingly – referred to as an acquired brain injury, a non-traumatic brain injury causes damage to the brain by internal factors, such as a lack of oxygen, exposure to toxins, pressure from a tumor, etc. To learn more about brain injury, click here.
How well do you know the statistics? Test your TBI IQ to see how much you know about brain injury and the latest research. Take our quiz below or click here to open it in a new window.