Mission and Vision
The Mission of the National Aphasia Association:
- Provide support to all persons with aphasia and their loved ones.
- Promote public awareness and understanding of aphasia.
- Foster research that aims to improve the lives of people with aphasia.
We are committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and social justice because aphasia can impact anyone, regardless of background. To support this commitment, we established the Davetrina Seles Gadson Health Equity Grant Program.
Who We Are
At the NAA, we see ourselves as the strong, established trunk at the center of the Aphasia community tree. We are rooted in our ability to offer support, stability, and direction as individuals and families are impacted by aphasia. There is an ever growing and extremely rich community of providers, programs, courses and connections across the United States and beyond. We, as the NAA, are positioned to nurture and fortify these partners and help them each grow to serve within their mission and purpose.
Our Impact
60,000 – 100,000 website visitors monthly
Over 200 vetted providers listed on our directory
The National Aphasia Association is proud to be a trusted resource and connector for the aphasia community across the country—and beyond. From thousands of website visitors and newsletter subscribers to a growing network of Ambassadors, care providers, and researchers, our impact is both wide and deeply personal. These highlights show how we’re advancing awareness, access, and action—one connection, one voice, and one story at a time.
With over 20,000 contacts receiving weekly newsletters and engaging consistently in our programs, as well as a google contact reach of over 400K a year (2023-24: 412,282 people), we continue to extend our services across the United States. We are increasing our activity on all social media platforms, currently with 22,000 followers on Facebook and 5000 subscribers to our YouTube channel.
Our History
The National Aphasia Association was founded in 1987 to give voice to people with aphasia and those who care about them. From the start, our mission has been to increase awareness, improve access to care, and build a strong, supportive community. Over the years, we’ve grown alongside the people we serve—learn more in our full timeline.
Meet the NAA Founder Dr. Martha Taylor Sarno
Aphasia has no boundaries. People with Aphasia are diverse.
The NAA is fully committed to the tenants of diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and social justice for PWA, the aphasia community, and the greater global community. It is our goal to advocate for PWA to ensure they are offered an environment that affirms their dignity, worth, and value.
NAA further strives to cultivate a global environment that subscribes to diversity, openness, respect, as well as being a place of safety for all persons with or without aphasia. NAA will engage in ongoing learning to understand, value, and support individual differences, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, national origin, religious and spiritual beliefs, gender, sexuality, physical and mental abilities, size and appearance, and socio-economic status of those persons with and without aphasia.
Finally, NAA recognizes that all individuals, whether or not they have aphasia, operate within a global community that can be influenced by racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, heterosexism, xenophobia, ableism, and other forms of marginalization and oppression. We, however, will strive to overcome those influences while creating an environment that is respectful, equitable, inclusive, and offers comprehensive access to all.
