At the Amputee Coalition, the heart of our mission has never wavered.

First, I want to say thank you to our community for welcoming me into the Amputee Coalition, which is elevating moment by moment. I am fortunate to see daily that, through our shared work, we are making an impact. Collectively as the Amputee Coalition, we are coming off celebrating making our April Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month one of the most elevated initiatives we have seen, but we know we are just getting started. We are elevating together.

But what would it look like for the Amputee Coalition to align so tightly that, when we think about our theme of ELEVATE, this is talking about progression as we adapt to change, ascending to where we can be as a community, and envisioning the impossible moving forward? Together. If you have been partners with us for any amount of time you know we have evolved in many ways, but the heart of the mission has never wavered from the daily drive and passion to serve the 4 million-plus Americans living with limb loss and limb difference.

With our newly adapted vision—a world where our community thrives—and a mission to support, educate, and advocate for people living with limb loss and limb difference, clarity is aligning for us to make an unprecedented impact. State, federal, and grassroots victories are the changes you will continue to see, acceleration in partnership as the way forward through ENVISIONING THE IMPOSSIBLEintentional relationship building, and an overall sense of community being the destination. So, what does that mean?

We are more equipped than ever to be the national organization leading the fight for equity, policy advocacy, sharing resources throughout the country, elevating and sharing community victories, and creating distinct change for the limb loss and limb difference community. This is who we are. The Amputee Coalition is here to lead, follow, and serve, offering a welcoming place where community happens and where no amputee is left alone.

As we look to convene with everyone in August for the Elevate: Together Towards Tomorrow National Conference, we have a burst of energy. We continue to be centered on the hope we have gained by hearing your stories, connecting directly with you through our National Limb Loss Resource Center, engaging through our social platforms, answering your questions at our town hall events, and elevating the community passion together. Our National Conference serves as the only consumer-focused event that creates an opportunity to learn the latest research, hear insights from others about their limb loss and limb difference journey, connect to peer support, learn about new and innovative prostheses and technologies, and have an intentional and safe space for in-person connections with people across the nation.

To say we are elevating is an understatement, but this yearlong ELEVATE campaign is showing itself to be central to where we are meeting our community’s resilience, hope, and courage. Our passion and mission are impacting lives every day. Our work ensures amputees have critical recovery information, fights for fair insurance laws, provides meaningful programs to disparity populations, improves accessibility and quality of living for the community, and provides vital resources and information for the limb loss and limb difference journey. We serve a diverse community and there is no single description, but we are committed to getting it right as we all evolve so each member of the community thrives in the way they choose. We are here for you.

Cass Isidro,
Amputee Coalition President and CEO