National Amputee Awareness Week: October 4

National Amputee Awareness Week, 4 – 11 October 2020, is a chance to ‘Shine a Light’ on the number of people in Australia with limb loss and remind all amputees that they are not alone. This is a week dedicated to celebrating Australians living with limb loss, raising awareness of this lifelong disability, reducing the stigma that amputees can face, and sharing limb loss prevention information.

There is one amputation performed every hour in Australia, which equates to 24 people per day and almost 8,500 people per year, due to diabetes, cancer, vascular disease, infection and traumatic accidents. The limb loss community in Australia, made up of adults and children, is growing every year.

This year many buildings and landmarks across Australia are being lit up in green to shine a light on amputation and limb loss in this country.

National Amputee Awareness Week builds community knowledge of limb loss, works to break down misconceptions about amputees, supports good quality of life outcomes and educates the wider community of the prevalence of amputation in hope they better manage their healthcare.

During National Amputee Awareness Week October significant buildings, venues and landmarks across Australia will be lit up green to ‘put a spotlight’ on amputation and limb loss.