Introduction to Proclamations
A proclamation is an official document that is issued by government leaders to make an announcement. Oftentimes they are used to commemorate a specific time period for the purpose of raising awareness about an issue.
For many states, the request for a proclamation is completed online and the proclamation is then mailed to the recipient if the request is completed by the published deadline. Other states and local offices may request an in-person meeting or issue the proclamation at a monthly meeting or proclamation ceremony.
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All of us can do our part to fight the battle for familiarity. Dysautonomia Support Network is calling on its Awareness Army to follow the simple process of Requesting, Receiving, and Sharing of proclamations during the awareness months of Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes (May), Gastroparesis (August), Chiari Malformation (September), and Dysautonomia (October). You can make a difference by requesting a proclamation today!
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Click here to learn more about how to obtain a proclamation.
Proclamations are one of the easiest ways for patients, especially those with rare conditions, to bring awareness to the political offices in cities and states across the U.S.
Brenda F. from Texas shares her experience with requesting a proclamation and why it is important to her.
“I wrote my first proclamation request last year (2019) for Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes Awareness and was overwhelmed at the beginning of the process because it was something new to me and I did not know what to expect. However, DSN’s Advocacy Team leadership stepped up and helped me with the wording of my request letter as well as provided step-by-step instructions for completing the request. Now that I have completed one, this year’s request was not at all intimidating. I just followed the steps in the proclamation kit and changed some of the wording from the year before to match what I wanted to say this year. A few weeks later, I had the proclamation in the mail!”
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I have been asked, “Why bother?” or “What’s the big deal?” The deal is that it is up to me to do my part in spreading awareness about my condition if I want help making sure Ehlers-Danlos becomes a household name. In making the name of my conditions more familiar, it helps increase awareness and makes it easier to get funding for research and assistance for those with EDS and other rare conditions. Familiarity is the first battle that must be won. I also spend time doing proclamations so that if my children, or future generations end up with EDS or another rare condition, then they can stand on the shoulders of my work that has helped make a difference in their care.”
