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Disability Awareness Campaigns: Your Calendar of Important Dates

Those of us who are living with or parenting children with rare conditions or little-known disabilities will know just how important awareness raising campaigns are. Sometimes that one day or one week each year can make all the difference, allowing us to bring these issues into the spotlight, celebrate our differences and educate our friends and family.

We’ve compiled a list of important dates around disability. From World Braille Day in January through to the International Day of People with Disability in December, this will ensure that you never miss an event.

January

4 – World Braille Day – CBM International
24 – Moebius Syndrome Awareness Day – Moebius Syndrome Foundation

February

7-13 – Feeding Tube Awareness Week – ausEE Inc.
18 – International Asperger’s Day – Asperger Services Australia

March

1 – International Wheelchair Day – International Wheelchair Club
4 – Bandaged Bear Day – The Children’s Hospital at Westmead
6-12 – World Glaucoma Week – Glaucoma Australia
14-20 – Brain Awareness Week – BrainAware
21 – World Down Syndrome Day – United Nations
26 – Purple Day for Epilepsy Awareness – Epilepsy Australia

April

2 – World Autism Awareness Day – United Nations
11 – World Parkinson’s Day – Parkinson’s Victoria
27 – International Guide Dog Day – Guide Dogs Australia

May

1-31 – Neurofibromatosis Awareness Month – Neurofibromatosis Association of Australia Inc
6 – World Asthma Day – Asthma Australia
4-10 – Tourette Syndrome Awareness Week – Tourette Syndrome Association of Australia
1-7 – National Motor Neurone Disease Week – MND Australia
12-18 – International Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Awareness Week – ME/CFS Australia
15 – World Autoimmune Arthritis Day – International Foundation for Autoimmune Arthritis
19 – Global Accessibility Awareness Day
19-25 – Spinal Health Week – Chiropractor’s Association of Australia
26 – World MS Day – MS Research Australia
27 – 65 Roses Day – Cystic Fibrosis New South Wales
29 – 4 June Arthritis Awareness Week – Arthritis Australia
22 – 28 Macular Degeneration Awareness Week – Macular Degeneration Foundation Australia

June

5 – MS Walk & Fun Run – Multiple Sclerosis Australia
21 – MND (Motor Neurone Disease) Global Day – MND Australia
29 – World Scleroderma Day – Scleroderma Australia

July

12-18 – National Blood Donor Week – Australian Red Cross Blood Service
29 – Crazy Hair Day – Cystic Fibrosis NSW

August

5 – Jeans for Genes Day – Children’s Medical Research Institute
7-13 – National EOS Awareness Week – AusEE Inc.
13 – Neuro-rehab Awareness Day – Australian Institute of Neuro Rehabilitation
15-21 – Brain Injury Awareness Week – Brain Injury Australia
20-27 – Hearing Awareness Week – Deafness Forum of Australia

September

1-30 – Dementia Awareness Month – Alzheimer’s Australia
5 -11 – Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Week – Independence Australia
12-18 – National Stroke Week – National Stroke Foundation
11-15 – Idiopathic Hypersomnia Awareness Week – Hypersomnolence Australia
18-24  – Parkinson’s Awareness Week – Parkinson’s Australia
21 – World Alzheimer’s Day – Alzheimer’s Australia

October

1-31 – Dogtober – Assistance Dogs Australia
1-31 – Polio Awareness Month – Polio Australia
1 – World Cerebral Palsy Day
4-11 – National Amputee Awareness Week – Amputee Association of NSW
4-16 – Down Syndrome Awareness Week – Down Syndrome Australia
9-15 – Haemophilia Awareness Week – Haemophilia Foundation Australia
9 – World Sight Day – Vision 2020 Australia
15-21 – National Week of Deaf People – Deaf Australia
12 – International Arthritis Day – Arthritis Victoria
21 – Loud Shirt Day – Hear and Say Centre
20 – World Osteoporosis Day – International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF)
30 – Great Strides Day – Cystic Fibrosis Australia

November

15 – White Cane Day – Vision Australia
16 – World Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Day – Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease
20-26 – Assistance Dogs Awareness Week – Assistance Dogs Australia

December

3 – UN International Day of People with Disability – IDPwD

(* Please note: Some dates and events are subject to change)

We hope this list of campaigns is helpful, and we encourage everyone to raise their voices, open their ears and to participate wholeheartedly. If you can’t see your particular cause featured among the list, we’d definitely encourage you to reach out and start organising! The internet has so much power to connect otherwise isolated communities of people for the greater good.

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