About the Nonprofit
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Our work covers all the bases — research, patient and community services, public education, and advocacy — in providing help, support, and hope to those facing the disease. Our mission at the ALS Association— to discover treatments and a cure for ALS, and to serve, advocate for, and empower people affected by ALS to live their lives to the fullest.
ALS is a devastating disease — physically, emotionally, financially and logistically. Our goal is to alleviate as much of a family’s burden as we can, so we have programs like clinics, that provide comprehensive care for ALS patients under one roof, support groups, that help patients and families find comfort among those who understand what they’re going through, and one-on-one consultations with care services managers to help people living with ALS and their families navigate through every aspect of the disease.
Over the last 30 years, the ALS Association has supported a global network of scientists who conduct cutting-edge ALS research across a variety of disciplines. In the past several years, this network of scientists has made significant advancements in understanding ALS and treating it in an ongoing effort to find a cure. We make it a priority to share the latest ALS research advances with the ALS community. Read more about ALS research here. We highly encourage Texans diagnosed with ALS to sign up for the National ALS Registry, which documents information about ALS to help researchers find patterns in the disease, and connects patients to clinical trials.
It’s important for our government to hear directly from people who live with ALS and those that care for them. We work on a local, state, and national level to improve the quality of life for people with ALS, and we also help empower ALS patients to make their voices heard.
ALS advocates have made significant strides for people with ALS in recent years. For example, as a direct result of our advocacy, Congress passed a law that shortened the Medicare wait time for ALS patients from two years to five months.
As part of our advocacy efforts, every May, we take a group of ALS patients, caregivers, and staff to the National ALS Advocacy Day and Public Policy Conference in Washington, D.C. There, more than 750 participants from across the country convene to learn about the latest ALS research and meet with Members of Congress to ensure that people with ALS have access to the care and technology they need. Annual government funding for ALS research has increased from $15 million a year to over $80 million a year, including a total of more than $950 million since the ALS Association created a Public Policy Department in 1998.
We are grateful for the opportunity to make such a difference in the ALS community. However, this would not be possible without each donor, sponsor, and supporters.
