[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 70 (Thursday, May 19, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S3184]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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  SENATE RESOLUTION 191--DESIGNATING JUNE 2011 AS ``NATIONAL APHASIA 
   AWARENESS MONTH'' AND SUPPORTING EFFORTS TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF 
                                APHASIA

  Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota submitted the following resolution; which 
was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 191

       Whereas aphasia is a communication impairment caused by 
     brain damage that typically results from a stroke;
       Whereas aphasia 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 preamble as the 
     ``NINDS''), stroke is the third-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 approximately 
     5,000,000 stroke survivors in the United States;
       Whereas the NINDS estimates that people in the United 
     States suffer approximately 750,000 strokes per year, with 
     about \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 aphasia each year;
       Whereas the National Aphasia Association is a unique 
     organization that strives to promote public education, 
     research, rehabilitation, and support services for the 
     general public, people with aphasia, and aphasia 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 
     of aphasia and provides opportunity and fulfillment for 
     people affected by aphasia: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates June 2011 as ``National Aphasia Awareness 
     Month'';
       (2) supports efforts to increase awareness of aphasia;
       (3) recognizes that strokes, a primary cause of aphasia, 
     are the third-largest cause of death and disability in the 
     United States;
       (4) acknowledges that aphasia deserves more attention and 
     study to find new solutions for 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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