March is Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Awareness Month. Like other awareness months, Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month aims to bring attention to multiple sclerosis to facilitate better finding treatments, cures and increase understanding of people with the disease. The more people know about the disease, the more likely a cure will be found, and organizations will fund research.
Though diseases may not be the first thing you think of when you think of causes of disability, many diseases can be very disabling, and multiple sclerosis is no exception. The effects of multiple sclerosis can cause a person to become completely disabled, and there is currently no cure for the disease. Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month hopes to change that.
What is multiple sclerosis?
Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is “a disease that impacts the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves, which make up the central nervous system and controls everything we do.” The exact causes are unknown, but the damage the disease causes include numbness, tingling, blindness, pain, fatigue, memory problems, and more. No two cases are alike, and everyone with MS experiences it differently.
There are four distinct types of MS: clinically isolated syndrome, relapsing-remitting MS, secondary progressive MS, and primary progressive MS. Clinically isolated syndrome refers to the first episode of neurological symptoms caused by demyelination. The symptoms must go on for 24 hours. Not all people with clinically isolated syndrome go on to develop full MS, but many do.
Relapsing-remitting MS is the most common course of MS. It is defined by attacks, or relapses, of new or worsening neurologic symptoms followed by partial or complete recovery or remission. As the disease progresses, it may turn into secondary progressive MS, where the disease initially follows the relapsing-remitting course before worsening, with disability worsening over time.
Finally, there is primary progressive MS. With primary progressive MS, disability begins, and neurological functions worsen as soon as symptoms appear, without remission. About 10-15% of people with MS have this type, with a later onset than other types. People with this type also have difficulty remaining in the workforce.
Why an awareness month?
Multiple sclerosis has no cure. Though there are treatments, they can be expensive, difficult to tolerate, and have many side effects. An awareness month can change this.
During MS Awareness Month, people are educated about MS and are made aware of what people with MS face. Also, MS is considered a rare disease, bringing awareness to it all the more important. Awareness equals funding for treatments and cures, increasing the quality of life for people with MS.
In addition to March being Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month, MS Awareness Week is March 12-19, and World MS Day is March 30. Having all three awareness events simultaneously helps bring a bigger spotlight to the disease and reminds people that it’s a disease they are still looking for a cure. Awareness months, weeks, and days serve as milestones to help guide the public toward a better understanding diseases.
MS accessibility
Multiple sclerosis can be disabling. Depending on which nerves are attacked, a person can be left with blindness, fatigue, and even paralysis, though this is uncommon. As the disease progresses, more and more of a person’s neurological functions become impaired, resulting in disability.
Just as a person born with low vision needs accessible tools, so does a person who has lost their vision to MS. Tools like screen readers and braille displays are specific accessibility tools you can provide to be accessible to someone who has MS. Though MS is a disease, the effects it causes can be disabling, and it’s important to keep that in mind.
Especially in a digital era, it is important to keep digital accessibility at the forefront when you consider diseases like MS. Continue to ensure your website is WCAG compliant and keep yourself up to date on the latest digital accessibility trends to ensure that you are being accessible.
Personal story
In 2018, after an episode of CIS, I was diagnosed with MS. My CIS was a common first symptom of MS called optic neuritis, an eye disorder characterized by optic nerve swelling. Optic neuritis causes eye pain, temporary vision loss, and loss of color vision. Usually, people recover most or all of their vision in their eye after optic neuritis, and usually, people are diagnosed with MS after experiencing optic neuritis. I was lucky and recovered most of my vision with the help of doctors and medication.
I was unlucky enough to be alone when I got diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS. I lived a great distance from my family, and my friends were at work, so I was all alone when I got the news of a chronic, lifelong condition. It was the first time I’d even heard of MS, and I was confused about where I would go from there and what my life would be like.
As it turned out, my life changed but did not end. I was put on immunosuppressive medications – MS is thought to have some basis of an autoimmune disease, so a common treatment is immunosuppressive medications. I had to be extra careful when the pandemic hit, and I still wear a mask in public. I’ve asked for accommodations from work to help with some symptoms, and accessibility is very important to me.
I often need to use the computer in low light mode or even with contrast, to prevent headaches. I rely on screen readers when my vision gets blurry, as often happens in flares. I need more rests throughout the day, and sometimes require remote work. MS has definitely changed my life, and it’s my hope that MS Month can highlight the need for research for more treatments and perhaps a cure.
Conclusion
Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month is in March, and it serves to highlight the need for research into treatments and cures for the different types of multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis can be incredibly disabling, and it’s important to bring awareness to this disease on behalf of the people living with it. There are also many ways to keep accessibility in mind regarding multiple sclerosis.
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