Awareness and Action
CELEBRATE LIMB LOSS AND LIMB DIFFERENCE AWARENESS MONTH
By Mike Crist, Editor
Awareness. You’ve heard that word often. Every month has its causes.
For obvious reasons, April’s Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month is the one nearest and dearest to our cause at the Amputee Coalition. We started it, after all. The Amputee Coalition is the only national nonprofit organization that serves all individuals who experience limb loss or limb difference and will host a robust lineup of activities this April to honor and elevate its members.
More than 2.7 million people live with limb loss or limb difference in the United States. Hundreds of people lose a limb every day. By 2050, the number of amputees in the U.S. will nearly double. Limb loss affects people of all backgrounds, all income levels, and all ages.
But there’s one other thing to be aware of from the beginning. Although informing people about the challenges that people in our community face and the efforts to overcome those challenges is important, awareness by itself is only the first goal.
Breast Cancer Month, in October, might have made you aware of the risks of the disease and what you can do about it. It doesn’t mean anything if you don’t get tested. Any number of vehicle safety months might make you aware of the importance of safety belts. You still must click the buckle.
What do we ask people to do in April, and the rest of the year while we’re at it? There are numerous possibilities.
Volunteer. Donate. Mentor. Visit. Act.
One place to start is the Advocacy Forum April 16-19 in Washington, DC. You can tell your story to lawmakers who are in a position to help the limb loss and limb difference community, and you can inspire others to do the same.
Indeed, inspiration is part of the theme of the month, which is “Inspire to Elevate.” And that includes weekly opportunities to elevate everything we do as a community.
- Elevate Your Story: Tell people about your experience through our #WeTHRIVE campaign.
- Elevate Your Voice: Learn to advocate on behalf of the community to legislators and others who can bring about change.
- Elevate Your Community: Get involved and inspire others to get involved to make sure no amputee is alone.
- Elevate Your Potential: EMPOWER yourself to live your best life.
A great place to learn about all of this and to get involved is AC Connect (community.amputee-coalition.org), our new online community. AC Connect is all about you. It is your place to continuously learn, develop a sense of belonging, and gain exposure.
This is the EMPOWER issue of inMotion, and nothing is more empowering than knowledge. And Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month is your chance to put that power to use.
JOIN US TO ELEVATE
YOURSELF AND OTHERS
The Amputee Coalition’s central focus is to elevate the limb loss and limb difference community through its variety of programs, services, and resources. This includes lifting up; improving morally, intellectually, or culturally; and raising the spirits of people living with limb loss or limb difference, their families, and communities. As such, the organization has aligned its 2023 activities under one annual theme: ELEVATE. In April, Limb Loss and Limb Difference Month will highlight how to “Inspire to Elevate.” During the Advocacy Forum, April 16-19, our advocates will converge in our nation’s capital to “Elevate Your Voice.” From Aug. 2-5, amputees from across the country will convene for the National Conference to “Elevate: Together Towards Tomorrow.” I invite you to join the Amputee Coalition on this year’s journey to elevate yourself and others and EMPOWER a brighter future for the limb loss and limb difference community.
Jerrica Thurman
Chief Strategy & Communications Officer
Managing Editor