Bill Text: NJ SJR45 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Designates June of each year as "Aphasia Awareness Month."
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-12-13 - Substituted by AJR53 [SJR45 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-SJR45-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator LORETTA WEINBERG
District 37 (Bergen)
Senator JOSEPH F. VITALE
District 19 (Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Designates June of each year as "Aphasia Awareness Month."
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Joint Resolution designating June of each year as "Aphasia Awareness Month."
Whereas, Aphasia is a disorder of the brain that occurs, most commonly, after a stroke or traumatic brain injury and affects a person's ability to communicate; a person with aphasia typically has difficulty speaking and, sometimes, difficulty with reading, writing, and understanding what other people are saying, but the condition does not affect a person's intellect; and
Whereas, While widely under-diagnosed and often misunderstood, one-third of all stroke survivors are diagnosed with aphasia, most often by speech pathologists; although the condition is most common among older people, aphasia can be acquired by people of all ages following severe head and brain trauma; and
Whereas, It is estimated that one million people in the United States have aphasia, more than the number of people suffering from Parkinson's disease, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, or cerebral palsy; according to the American Stroke Association, among ischemic stroke survivors who were at least 65 years of age, 19% had aphasia; and
Whereas, There are varying degrees of aphasia that include: non-fluent or expressive aphasia, typified by a person's ability to speak in short, meaningful phrases that take a great effort to produce; fluent or receptive aphasia, typified by a person's ability to speak in long sentences that have no meaning, or include unnecessary or made up words, and difficulty in understanding others; and global aphasia, typified by severe communication difficulties and a person's limited ability to speak or comprehend language; and
Whereas, People with aphasia usually experience improvement over time, aided by speech therapy, rehabilitation services, and counseling; however, many people with aphasia are prone to depression, hopelessness, and isolation, avoiding contact with others in order to pass on social situations that may lead to mutual frustration; and
Whereas, The Adler Aphasia Center, located in Maywood, New Jersey, was created when its co-founder, Mike Adler, suffered a stroke and could not find a local rehabilitation therapy program that offered the kind of quality care found at the few existing aphasia programs that he and his wife visited in Canada, England, and other parts of the United States; and
Whereas, The Adler Aphasia Center is committed to empower, enhance, and enrich the lives of people with aphasia and their families by providing an array of therapeutic, rehabilitation, respite, and support services that address the unique social, emotional, psychological, curative, and recovery needs of aphasia patients; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The month of June in each year is designated as "Aphasia Awareness Month" in New Jersey in order to raise public awareness of this often-misunderstood communication disorder, and to honor the work of the Adler Aphasia Center which provides unique rehabilitation and support services to people with aphasia and their families.
2. The Governor shall annually issue a proclamation calling upon public officials and the citizens of this State to observe the month with appropriate activities and programs designed to raise public awareness of this disorder.
3. This joint resolution shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This joint resolution designates June of each year as "Aphasia Awareness Month," and directs the Governor to annually issue a proclamation calling upon public officials and the citizens of this State to observe the month with appropriate activities and programs designed to raise public awareness of this disorder.
