what a year!
Here are just some of the things that were accomplished in 2022 thanks to the generosity of those who volunteered and/or donated to the Vestibular Disorders Association (VeDA).
Life Rebalanced Live
Our second virtual conference was a huge success. We took what we learned about how vestibular patients interact with online event technology and upgraded our platform to make it easier for people to participate, and feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with 97% of people surveyed saying that they would recommend the conference to others and attend again. Recordings are available at vestibular.org/LRL.
Life Rebalanced Chronicles
In 2022 we continued to tell the story of the vestibular patient experience through short vignettes on topics such as motherhood, love, and advocacy, featuring the same vestibular warriors from the original series. You can watch these on vestibular.org/vignettes.
Vestibular Triage Tools
It can take months or years for vestibular patients to find a specialist who can give them an accurate diagnosis. The role of triage tools is to facilitate referral to a specialist for definitive diagnosis and treatment. VeDA created a resource that brings multiple vestibular triage tools together in one place. Please share this with your healthcare providers (vestibular.org/triage).
Language Translations
VeDA formed a partnership with Association des Désordres Vestibulaires (ADeV) – a newly formed patient advocacy organization based in France – and GDR Vertige – a French vestibular research group. Together, we have translated 14 of our most popular articles into French. You can find these resources at vestibular.org/ADeV.
Radio PSA
In April we ran our annual public service announcement in English and Spanish, which was played 3,561 times on 166 radio stations across the US, and heard by an estimated 5 million people.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
VeDA wants to ensure that we are reaching everyone who is struggling with vertigo, dizziness, and imbalance with our message of hope. Our DEI Committee evaluated the barriers to creating an inclusive community where everyone feels valued, represented, and respected, and developed a plan to advance the accessibility of VeDA’s patient education information and services.
Vestibular Provider Directory
We added additional fields to our popular directory of vestibular healthcare providers to give patients more information with which to make an informed decision when selecting a specialist.
Live Social Media Events
We continued our Video Education Series with six webinars live streamed on Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn, including topics such as health coaching and home-based vestibular exercise. Visit our YouTube channel for these and other educational videos.
NEW: Topic-Based Booklets
We launched a new patient education series, curating articles from VeDA’s library into easy-to-access booklets based on a specific topic, such as Meniere’s disease.
Patient Registry
We published three papers in academic journals based on data from our patient registry, a repository of patient-reported information on their vestibular symptoms and healthcare. Learn more about our registry here: vestibular.org/patient-registry.
Help Make 2023 An Amazing Year
You can help make sure that this momentum keeps going. Your gift will support these programs and more!