Join us for the 2021 Walk for Talk

The 2021 Walk for Talk is a five-day event to benefit the National Spasmodic Dysphonia Association. The event begins on Thursday, October 7, and runs until Monday, October 11, so there is plenty of time to be part of it! You can participate no matter where you live. Choose one day or do something on each one of the days. This year, the choice is yours on how you want to support our voice. Whether alone or with a group, you can decide on your sport or activity. You can walk, run, bike, golf, kayak, surf, swim, or play a team sport. Invite your family and friends (and even your dog) to be part of it. You have five days to mix things up, make plans, have fun, and support the NSDA. Our goal is fund more research so that we can find answers for better treatments and a cure for spasmodic dysphonia and related voice conditions. By all of us working together, we can make this happen! Each step gets us closer to a cure! 

Keeping the Momentum Going in 2021

In 2020, NSDA came together as a community for the first-ever Walk for Talk with camaraderie, mentoring, visibility, unity, empowerment, encouragement, and strength. Over 330 people from six countries and 42 states in the U.S. worked to raise awareness and funds to find answers for spasmodic dysphonia and related voice conditions. From the funds raised in 2020, NSDA awarded two research grants and there are more applications in the pipeline for consideration. There are multiple new treatment options that are being explored which may help researchers better understand the cause of SD. We hope you will use your feet to help us defeat these voice disorders!  

What is Spasmodic Dysphonia?

How often do you think about the ease of using your voice? What if you woke up one day and it felt like you were choking on your words? Or the effort to speak left you exhausted? Or maybe, you couldn't raise your voice over a whisper? For people living with spasmodic dysphonia (SD) and related voice conditions this is an everyday occurrence. SD, form of laryngeal dystonia, is a neurological disorder that affects the voice. The muscles that control that larynx spasm when a person speaks. With no known cause, no cure, and limited treatments, research is essential to find answers. 

In-Person Walk Events

We are excited to share that some of our local support groups are hosting in-person walks.Feel free to join in the fun if there is one close to you!

Friday, October 8 | Decatur, AL
Saturday, October 9 | Decatur, AL | Scottsdale, AZ | Tampa, FL | Cumming, GA | Pleasant Hill, IA | Highland Park, IL | Milford, MI | Matthews, NC | Portland Area, OR
Sunday, October 10 | Littleton, CO | Greenville, SC | Milwaukee, WI
Monday, October 11 | Decatur, AL
Saturday, October 16 | Playa Vista, CA

A New Song for the Walk

Did you know that the Walk for Talk now has a theme song? The new song,  I Have a Voice, was written specially for the NSDA Community by Wendy Jean Garrison and Grace Askew. This powerful song reflects both the isolation caused by spasmodic dysphonia and the intense connections that can be formed through its national association. It will be featured in the Thank You video for the Walk so be sure to send in your photos. Take a listen and be sure to share it with your friends and family!