The National Ataxia Foundation (NAF)

The National Ataxia Foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of persons affected by Ataxia through support, education, and research.

Supporting Promising Ataxia Research Since 1957

NAF is a membership supported nonprofit organization established in 1957 to help persons with Ataxia and their families. The Foundation’s primary purpose is to support Ataxia research, provide vital programs and services for Ataxia families, and help in the search for a cure. NAF is the only organization in the United States dedicated to the disease that serves all types of Ataxia. NAF works closely with the world’s leading Ataxia researchers, promoting exchanges of ideas and innovation in Ataxia discovery.

NAF Origins

NAF began with a single doctor’s quest to find the cause and cure for Ataxia. John W. Schut, MD founded the National Ataxia Foundation to relentlessly pursue answers after he lost family members to the disease. Eventually inheriting the disease and succumbing himself, his dream lived on as NAF’s efforts to fund research increased – leading to some of the most important Ataxia discoveries. Today, NAF is guided by the world’s most renowned Ataxia scientists.

Connecting the Ataxia Community

NAF offers many educational resources for Ataxia, including a comprehensive library of brochures, fact sheets, and books. NAF also publishes Generations, a quarterly magazine centered around Ataxia and families affected. NAF also provides a number of ways for the Ataxia community to connect, such as: NAF Support Groups, a Facebook Ataxia Support Group, various Ataxia events, medical expos, and most importantly, the Annual Ataxia Conference – a three-day conference designed for Ataxia experts and Ataxia families to come together.