Rare Disease Day: February 28, 2026

  Posted on by acdassociation

Rare Disease Day is an international advocacy day to bring widespread recognition of rare diseases as a global health challenge. The day is celebrated on the last day of February every year – February 28 in 2026. The ACDA has signed on once again to support this awareness campaign and we encourage everyone to participate in some way.

Below are a few suggested ideas:

  • Click HERE ($), HERE (£) or HERE (€) to print a flyer for anyone to use at their workplace that encourages employees to donate $5 / £5 / €5 to the ACDA and wear jeans to work on Friday, February 27 for Rare Disease Day! #JeansForGenes
  • Fill your home with color! In an effort of global solidarity, you are invited to light or decorate your home with the Rare Disease Day colors at 7:00 p.m. your local time on February 28, 2026. See the flyer below for additional details!
  • Help light up landmarks around the country on February 28, 2026! Identify potential landmarks—buildings, bridges, homes, businesses, stadiums, and other local points of interest—and complete any applications or request forms, as required by the landmark you are asking to light up. Read further details here!
  • Organize a fundraiser (Facebook or direct give) to raise money for the next ACDMPV research grant.
  • Contact your local newspaper to write an article about what Rare Disease Day means to you. Click HERE to read various articles previously written about our ACDA families.
  • Join the ACDA on social media by using the officialACDA frame above (you can download the transparent .PNG file HERE and overlay onto your favorite photo in your preferred photo app if you are tech savvy – or try overlaying your photos with a free online version at https://overlay.imageonline.co – you also may need to do it on a computer rather than mobile and crop after) to share that you love someone rare! Also use the hashtags #LightUpForRare #RareDiseaseDay, #ShowYourRare, #WRDD202, #ACD, #ACDMPV

Click to see how the ACDA supported Rare Disease Day in 2025 (also for extra fun, check out our archives for 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017 and 2016)! Click HERE for ways to participate in the U.S. in 2026 and click HERE to visit the EURORDIS website for Rare Disease Day 2026 in Europe.

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