International aphasia awareness campaign: Implementation of a unified, international, co-designed aphasia awareness campaign

This project will deliver the first unified international aphasia awareness campaign. The campaign was co-designed with people with aphasia and the international aphasia community during Claire Bennington's PhD. Three studies involved 466 people living and working with aphasia across 40 countries. The resulting blueprint targets the general public, explains what aphasia is and is not, shows how to communicate with a person with aphasia, and carries the tag line Recognise Respond Respect. 

Background

Aphasia awareness is poor worldwide, and misinformation has made it worse. Across 21 studies in 20 countries, most people had not heard the word "aphasia" and fewer than one in ten had basic knowledge of it. Coverage of Bruce Willis' diagnosis briefly lifted awareness, then damaged it when media reported that his aphasia had progressed into dementia. Awareness campaigns to date have used inconsistent messages, branding and timing, have rarely involved people with aphasia in their design, and have mostly reached people who already know about aphasia. 

Publications

Bennington, C., Shiggins, C., Isaksen, J., Beesley, E., Beesley, K, Annoni, J-M., Czerenkowski, J., Davey, C., Douglas, N., Kountouri, A., Longman, C., Pauranik, A., Scott, S., Shelley, K. and Wallace, S.J. (2026). Co-design of a Unified, International Aphasia Awareness Campaign. https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.70658

Bennington, C., Isaksen, J., Shiggins, C., Beesley, E., Beesley, K., Simmons-Mackie, N., … Wallace, S. J. (2025). International priorities for a unified aphasia awareness campaign: a nominal group technique study across five countries. Disability and Rehabilitation, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2025.2510558 

Bennington, C., Shiggins, C., Isaksen, J., Beesley, E., Beesley, K., & Wallace, S. J. (2024). What does it mean to be aphasia aware? An international survey of stakeholder perspectives and experiences of aphasia awareness. Aphasiology, 38 (12), 1916-1939.  https://doi.org/10.1080/02687038.2024.2330145 

Partner organisations​

• Association Internationale Aphasie (AIA) 
• Collaboration of Aphasia Trialists (CATs) 
• Aphasia Recovery Connection (ARC) 
• Australian Aphasia Association (AAA)