Every year, on the last day of February, the world comes together to recognize Rare Disease Day—a global initiative dedicated to raising awareness for rare diseases and the millions of people affected by them.

While individual rare diseases may affect only a small percentage of the population, collectively, rare diseases impact an estimated 300 million people worldwide.

Rare Disease Day® serves as a platform for advocacy, education, and community-building.

Join APFED as we shine the light on life with rare diseases. To help celebrate the day, consider getting involved in one or more of these activities.

• Explore digital downloads available from the Rare Disease Day® website. These include social media graphics, banners, printable posters and much more.
• Show your stripes! The zebra is the official symbol of rare diseases, as it represents the uniqueness of these conditions. On Rare Disease Day®, people around the world wear stripes to show solidarity.

• Share personal stories of your experience with rare diseases. If you use social media as a platform to share, use hashtags like #RareDiseaseDay and #ShowYourStripes to join the conversation.
• Participate in a virtual or in-person event taking place near you. The Rare Disease Day® website maintains a list of events and special light-ups taking place around the globe.
• Advocate for policy change.

• • Participate in advocacy initiatives that APFED is supporting, such as urging lawmakers to support medical research and urging specific states to protect Section 504 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1973. Learn more here.
  • Sign the National Rare Disease Community Petition and share it. This petition was created to urge lawmakers to prioritize rare disease policies. The petition closes at the end of the day on Thursday. Everylife Foundation will send it to members of Congress on Friday, February 28.
    https://everylifefoundation.org/national-rare-disease-community-petition/

For more information about Rare Disease Day® visit rarediseaseday.org.