Press releases are used in the ALS landscape to communicate important information to journalists and the public. Press releases may be released by pharmaceutical companies, academic and research institutions, and non-profit organizations, amongst other outlets. It is important to critically analyze information from a press release to help you become a well-informed consumer of ALS information.

Glossary of Genetic Terms

Available equipment

Please consult the list below or the ALS Canada Equipment Catalogue for more information about which pieces of equipment are available through our program.

Mobility assistance and lifts

Bedroom and other equipment

Bathroom assistance

Please note that the ALS Canada Equipment Program is not a trial program. This means that we do not loan equipment for the purpose of testing what devices are best for you. Instead, we facilitate loans or funding assistance once someone’s equipment needs have been assessed and recommended by a professional.

The ALS Society of Canada’s (ALS Canada) vision is a future without ALS. To achieve this vision, new treatments that can help with symptom management and slow down and someday stop the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) need to undergo clinical trials on humans to ensure that they are both safe and effective before being approved for widespread availability.

Today, more is known about this relentlessly progressive motor neuron disease which causes paralysis and leads to the death of approximately 1,000 people in Canada each year. And while the prognosis of ALS is variable and its progression difficult to predict, (i) we know that it can move with startling swiftness – leaving a very narrow window of time to slow it down, often further compressed by delayed diagnosis.

In this Toolkit you will find the following resources:

A resource that supports and empowers advocacy efforts aimed at improving the lives of people living with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis).

Form to make donations to ALS Canada.

To be considered for a volunteer role, please download, complete and follow the instructions outlined in ALS Canada’s Volunteer Application Form.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, and muscular dystrophy can sometimes be confused as the characteristics and symptoms of these diseases can overlap. People living with ALS, MS, and MD often require the same kinds of wheelchairs and assistive devices. However, ALS, MS, and MD are separate and distinct diseases.

Bulbar ALS is a subtype of ALS that destroys motor neurons in the corticobulbar area of the brain and brainstem. This area controls muscles in the face, head, and neck including the jaw, lips, throat, and tongue.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), sometimes called Lou Gehrig’s Disease, or motor neuron disease in some regions of the world, is a progressive fatal neuromuscular disease.

The ALS Society of Canada is indebted to the Motor Neurone Disease Association (UK) for their permission to adapt their original booklet for our Canadian audience. A most special thank you is extended to all of the young Canadian contributors who had the courage to share their personal experiences for the purpose of helping others.

You are probably reading this booklet because your Mom or Dad or someone else special in your family has Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. It is a long name and for short it is often called ALS.

Applications for funding contain valuable intellectual property which, if used inappropriately by a reviewer or observer of the peer review process, could damage the competitiveness of the applicant(s), or prevent exploitation of the intellectual property, and could render ALS Canada and Brain Canada vulnerable to legal action.

From unravelling abstracts to diving deep into discussions, this resource will help you feel more confident the next time you dig into a complicated ALS research paper.

This manual was developed by the Health Charities Coalition of Canada to assist patients, caregivers, friends, and families in understanding and navigating the Canadian healthcare system, and the actions you can take to help you receive the best possible health care.

This glossary contains a list of scientific and medical terms and definitions that are relevant to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). It can be used by anyone from within the ALS community including recently diagnosed individuals, caregivers, medical professionals, researchers, as well as by the general public. The research glossary was developed to help support knowledge-sharing by helping to provide clarity around terminology that may be unfamiliar to our readers.