Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Day UK (SCIAD)
SCIAD 2025 – Friday 16 May
This years theme is ‘A life well lived’ and on the day itself we will be encouraging you all to share your stories, and help us by spreading awareness across your social media channels using the hashtags #SCIAD25 and #SpinalCordInjuryAwarenessDay2025
What is Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Day (SCIAD) ?
SCIAD is an annual event that raises awareness about spinal cord injury (SCI) and sheds light on the challenges faced by over 105,000 people in the United Kingdom.
In 2024 new key statistics were released that showed that the number of people sustaining and living with injuries was far higher than previously thought:
- 4,400 people are injured or diagnosed with a spinal cord injury (SCI) every year, not 2,500 as previously thought.
- The total size of the UK SCI population is now believed to be more than 105,000, not 50,000 as previously estimated.
- This means that approximately every two hours someone sustains a SCI (that’s 12 people a day).
In 2025, these stats have been updated:
- 4,700 people were injured or diagnosed with a spinal cord injury (SCI) every year. This is an increase of 300 additional cases on last years figure.
- The total size of the UK SCI population remains at more than 105,000.
* The analysis was derived from multiple NHS data sources, including National Spinal Cord Injury Database and the UK Rehabilitation Outcomes Collaborative (UK ROC) covering admissions and referrals. * The calculation was based on the yearly incidences of SCI, the life expectancy of those living with SCI and the size of the total population
Abbie’s Story
After having a spinal stroke in 2019, Abbie found herself stuck in a neurological unit for several years, as the pandemic played out. We’re telling her story as part of Spinal cord injury awareness day 2025.
Working together
Alongside our charity partners, we will be doing everything we can to support our members and help them overcome the daily challenges disabled people face in our society.
Aspire | Back Up | Horatio’s Garden | Regain | Spinal Injuries Scotland | Spinal Research | Stoke Mandeville Spinal Research | WheelPower
National Spinal Cord Injury strategy
We are a coalition of spinal cord injury (SCI) charities and partner organisations and our goal is to improve care, support, and rehabilitation for people living with SCI. Spinal cord injuries are life-changing, affecting individuals, their families, carers, and communities.
If we had a strategy, it would be a plan on what good looks like. This is your chance to shape this plan.
We are working with the NHS, government bodies, and the healthcare community to make sure the strategy prioritises:
- Accessible rehabilitation
- Lifelong support
- Adequate funding and resources
UPDATE: Thank you to everyone who took part in the survey about the need for a National Spinal Cord Injury Strategy. It is now closed (7 April) and the results will now be analysed, and shared with you all in due course.
Past SCIAD themes
How can you get involved?
We would love the spinal cord injured community to use the spotlight of this awareness day to share your own stories and experiences around this years theme.
Use the hashtag #SCIAD #SpinalCordInjuryAwarenessDay and tag SIA into your social media posts across all channels: @spinal_injuries (Instagram) and Spinal Injuries Association (Facebook), LinkedIn, BlueSky, Threads, Tik Tok and @spinalinjuries (X).