The National Aphasia Association is pleased to announce that the new Ambassador Program will launch at the end of January. Learn more below!
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What is the NAA Aphasia Ambassador Program?
NAA Ambassadors are a network of individuals committed to fulfilling the NAA mission of promoting public awareness and understanding of aphasia. NAA Aphasia Ambassadors play a vital role in educating businesses, service organizations, civic organizations, faith based groups, and the general public, providing information that is meaningful in understanding the nature and challenges of aphasia.
The Vision and Objectives of the NAA Aphasia Ambassador Program
We envision a society in which the word aphasia is a recognizable term, and it allows individuals living with aphasia to overcome communication barriers in all of the aspects of their lives.
Objectives of the program include:
- To Deepen Respect for individuals living with aphasia through knowledge of that disorder.
- To Strengthen Collaboration with programs that are serving the aphasia community by providing them with tools to educate within their community.
- To Embrace Diversity in aphasia education as aphasia disproportionately affects underserved populations in the U.S.
- To Build and Strengthen the NAA Advocacy Network to include individuals with aphasia and their families, as well as professionals, students and others who have been touched by aphasia.
Who can qualify to be a NAA Aphasia Ambassador?
Anyone who has a sincere interest in spreading awareness of aphasia, and completes the online application and training, is encouraged to become a NAA Ambassador. We welcome all individuals with aphasia, their friends and family, caregivers, health care professionals, and anyone who has been touched by aphasia and wants to play a role in advocacy and outreach.
How to become a NAA Aphasia Ambassador
- Complete the online application
- Complete the online training
The NAA will acknowledge your successful completion of training, send a Certificate and ID card, add your name to our Ambassador Network, and give you access to our Aphasia Resource materials.
Why become a NAA Ambassador?
This is an opportunity to teach people about aphasia. When more people know about aphasia, people with aphasia will be better understood, respected and given the chance to participate fully in their community.
The NAA will provide you with all of the resources needed to become an Ambassador. Perhaps you will pass out flyers and information at the local Farmer’s Market. Or maybe you will give a speech to a group of medical students. Every effort is important and they all help to educate people about aphasia.
If you are already an advocate and are speaking and teaching about aphasia, why not join the national network of NAA Ambassadors to get the recognition that you deserve. Or perhaps you would like to share your resources at the national level, or mentor a new Ambassador.
As part of the Ambassador community you can network, teach and learn from other Ambassadors. And you can recruit new Ambassadors to join the program.
What are my responsibilities once I have completed the training?
Use your NAA Aphasia Ambassador status and training materials to educate. There are no formal requirements, you will decide how much time you will commit. And we appreciate any and all of your involvement.
You will be asked to report your accomplishments by logging in at this link and tell us how many people you educated, who they are, and the date it took place. The NAA will track our advocacy accomplishments, and together we will spread the word. Therefore in 2025 many more people will be informed about aphasia, knowing that it’s a language disorder, and they’ll be able to identify it in others.
How the NAA supports its Aphasia Advocates
The Ambassador network will have access to a wide variety of resources, including handouts, power points, videos, and promotional items. The NAA will provide whatever support you need, such as matching you with speaking opportunities, putting you in contact with other ambassadors, publicizing your efforts, and rewarding your accomplishments with badges and levels of attainment.
