[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 84 (Monday, June 8, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6273-S6274]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 172--DESIGNATING JUNE 2009 AS ``NATIONAL APHASIA 
   AWARENESS MONTH'' AND SUPPORTING EFFORTS TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF 
                                APHASIA

  Mr. JOHNSON submitted the following resolution; which was considered 
and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 172

       Whereas aphasia is a communication impairment caused by 
     brain damage that typically results from a stroke;
       Whereas, while aphasia is most often the result of stroke 
     or brain injury, it can also occur with other neurological 
     disorders, such as a brain tumor;
       Whereas many people with aphasia also have weakness or 
     paralysis in the right leg and right arm, usually due to 
     damage to the left hemisphere of the brain, which controls 
     language and movement on the right side of the body;
       Whereas the effects of aphasia may include a loss of or 
     reduction in the ability to speak, comprehend, read, and 
     write, but the intelligence of a person with aphasia remains 
     intact;
       Whereas, according to the National Institute of 
     Neurological Disorders and Stroke (referred to in this 
     resolution as the ``NINDS''), stroke is the 3rd-leading cause 
     of death in the United States, ranking behind heart disease 
     and cancer;
       Whereas stroke is a leading cause of serious, long-term 
     disability in the United States;
       Whereas the NINDS estimates that there are about 5,000,000 
     stroke survivors in the United States;
       Whereas the NINDS estimates that people in the United 
     States suffer about 750,000 strokes per year, with 
     approximately \1/3\ of the strokes resulting in aphasia;
       Whereas, according to the NINDS, aphasia affects at least 
     1,000,000 people in the United States;
       Whereas the NINDS estimates that more than 200,000 people 
     in the United States acquire the disorder each year;
       Whereas the National Aphasia Association is a unique 
     organization that provides communication strategies, support, 
     and education for people with aphasia and their caregivers 
     throughout the United States; and
       Whereas, as an advocacy organization for people with 
     aphasia and their caregivers, the National Aphasia 
     Association envisions a world that recognizes the ``silent'' 
     disability

[[Page S6274]]

     of aphasia and provides opportunity and fulfillment for 
     people affected by aphasia: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates June 2009 as ``National Aphasia Awareness 
     Month'';
       (2) supports efforts to increase awareness of aphasia;
       (3) recognizes that strokes, a primary cause of aphasia, 
     are the 3rd-largest cause of death and disability in the 
     United States;
       (4) acknowledges that aphasia deserves more attention and 
     study in order to find new solutions for serving individuals 
     experiencing aphasia and their caregivers;
       (5) supports efforts to make the voices of people with 
     aphasia heard, because people with aphasia are often unable 
     to communicate with others; and
       (6) encourages all people in the United States to observe 
     National Aphasia Awareness Month with appropriate events and 
     activities.

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