Epilepsy in the workplace: Can you have a successful career and have epilepsy?
By Dr. Locatelli
More than three million Americans, including 360,000 Floridians, are coping with epilepsy. Many people with epilepsy manage successful careers in a variety of industries. In fact, the only jobs that people with a history of seizures are prohibited from obtaining are those that require a federal commercial driver’s license or a commercial pilot’s license.
If you already have a career, and if it is likely that you will have a seizure at work, you should inform your supervisor and close coworkers. Some people create a seizure preparedness plan that includes emergency contact numbers and a plan of action should they have a seizure. Some people also chose to wear a MedicAlert bracelet or necklace.
However, because of seizures interfering with the job, unemployment among people with epilepsy is much higher than the national average. It is important to seek medical attention and work with your doctor to eliminate or control your seizures as best as possible. Talk to him or her about community resources available to find work.
Many people are reluctant to tell their supervisor or coworkers they have epilepsy because of fear or past experience that the disability was used against them. Discrimination is outlawed by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, and on September 25, President Bush signed the ADA Amendments Act of 2008. For those with epilepsy, this legislation is even more important than the original ADA because this bill was primarily focused on correcting the exclusion of epilepsy and many other disabilities from the original ADA.
The Epilepsy Foundation has online and in-person resources available for employment.
Tags: ADA and epilepsy, discrimination and epilepsy, epilepsy, epilepsy foundation, seizure preparedness plan, seizures, unemployment and epilepsy, working with epilepsy