The first Congressional Briefing for Cerebral Palsy was held on March 24th 2022. The Cerebral Palsy Foundation is leading the efforts urging Congress to support federal funding for much needed Cerebral Palsy research at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to improve the lives of people through cerebral palsy through the lifespan. Community support is vital so our lawmakers know this is an important public health issue.
The need for cerebral palsy research investment is more critical than ever. Cerebral palsy is the most common lifelong physical disability, impacting more than 1,000,000 Americans and 1 in 345 American children, yet is significantly underfunded across the lifespan.
Most Americans aren’t aware of how common cerebral palsy is and how little research is being conducted compared to the number of Americans affected. Many people don't realize that the economic and healthcare cost of cerebral palsy is estimated to be more than one trillion dollars - which can be reduced with better prevention, earlier detection, more effective treatments, and comprehensive standards of care across the lifespan.