Mission

The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) is a unique federation of voluntary health organizations dedicated to helping people with rare orphan diseases and assisting the organizations that serve them. NORD is committed to the identification, treatment, and cure of rare disorders through programs of education, advocacy, research, and service. A rare or orphan disease affects fewer than 200,000 people in the United States. There are more than 6,000 rare disorders that, taken together, affect approximately 25 million Americans. NORD was established in 1983 by patients and families who worked together to get the Orphan Drug Act passed. This legislation provides financial incentives to encourage development of new treatments for rare diseases.