Aphasia is a communication disability that affects our ability to understand written and spoken language. Aphasia can happen suddenly, often following a stroke or head injury or it may also develop slowly, as the result of a brain tumor or a progressive neurological disease. Aphasia does not affect a person’s ability to think or reason. Aphasia may co-occur with speech disorders, such as dysarthria or apraxia of speech, which also result from brain damage. (Source: nidcd.nih.gov/health/aphasia)
About 1 million people in the United States live with aphasia, and nearly 180,000 Americans acquire aphasia each year. Aphasia is more common than Parkinson’s Disease, cerebral palsy, or muscular dystrophy. (Source: aphasia.org/aphasia-faqs).
On this episode of ADA Live! we discuss how aphasia impacts the lives of a family who learned how to recover and cope with its effects. Our guest is Carol Dow Richards, Founding Director of Aphasia Recovery Connection, a nonprofit organization located in Leland, North Carolina. Carol’s son David acquired aphasia after a sudden stroke in 1995 at age ten. Carol discusses how she and David continue to manage the effects of aphasia, why they started their organization, and how they are helping others move forward in their recovery. We also talk about how the rights of people with aphasia and similar communication disorders are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Guest
Founding Director of Aphasia Recovery Connection
LISTEN
Audio: Soundcloud Episode 118: Learn about Aphasia
Web: soundcloud.com/adalive/
READ
- Interactive Transcript for Episode 118: Learn about Aphasia
Web: bit.ly/adalive118-captioning - Transcript: Episode 118: Learn about Aphasia (PDF file)
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Featured
Aphasia Recovery Connection (ARC)
ARC is a non-profit organization that was founded by a stroke survivor and his mother after they faced the same challenges that many of you face everyday. ARC’s mission is to end the isolation of aphasia by connecting families who are on the journey they know so well. Throughout the years, ARC has grown to become a community of thousands of families who connect online and at aphasia events. We are continually inspired by the stories of aphasia warriors, and we encourage you to join our community and share your story.
About ADA Live!
The ADA Live! podcast and resources focus on the rights and responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). A new episode airs for 30-45 minutes on the first Wednesday of each month. ADA Live! is produced by the Southeast ADA Center, one of ten regional ADA Centers in the ADA National Network.
About ADA Live!
The ADA Live! podcast and resources focus on the rights and responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). A new episode airs for 30-45 minutes on the first Wednesday of each month. ADA Live! is produced by the Southeast ADA Center, one of ten regional ADA Centers in the ADA National Network.
No registration is required. You can submit your questions to ADA Live!, explore resources and the ADA Live! schedule plus connect to archived episodes on adalive.org or download podcasts from soundcloud.com/adalive
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DISCLAIMER: The contents of this post were developed by the Southeast ADA Center, a project of the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University and the ADA National Network, under a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant #90DPAD0005-01-00). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this podcast and email do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.