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  • Understanding the nature of epilepsy and recognizing potential triggers : Understanding epilepsy, its types, triggers, and impacts is key for inclusion. Identify stressors, maintain regular schedules, and create supportive environments.
  • Challenges faced by people with epilepsy prior to employment : People with epilepsy face challenges like seizure control, driving restrictions, and disclosure dilemmas. Employers must understand and address these to foster inclusivity.
  • From respecting medical confidentiality to defining and implementing reasonable accommodations : Respecting medical confidentiality while implementing reasonable accommodations is vital. Occupational physicians ensure safe, tailored support for employees with epilepsy.
  • Types of accommodation for people with epilepsy in the workplace : Flexible scheduling, modified work environments, stress management, and tailored tasks are key accommodations. Training and holistic support enhance inclusion and productivity.
  • Ensuring safety in the workplace and creating a plan of action : Develop and communicate an action plan for seizures, including emergency contacts and on-site medical care. Create a supportive environment for PwE with designated safety protocols.

Introduction

Introducing the subject of accommodations for people with epilepsy involves emphasizing inclusivity, legal obligations, and the practical benefits of support. The international and European legal frameworks mandate reasonable accommodations. Article 27 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) specifically addresses the right of persons with disabilities to work on an equal basis with others, including the provision of reasonable accommodation.

For organizations that fail to comply with these provisions, there are significant risks of non-compliance, including legal, reputational and operational consequences like loss of talents or decreased productivity.

Ensuring compliance not only fulfills legal obligations but also fosters a more inclusive, productive, and supportive workplace.

Reasonable accommodation must be defined on an individual basis, particularly for people with epilepsy, due to the diverse nature of the condition. People with Epilepsy (PwE) may develop some limitations needing accommodation, and the degree of limitation will vary among individuals. Be aware that not all PwE will need accommodations to perform their jobs and many others may only need a few accommodations.

The goal of this module is to understand the different accommodation possibilities for people with epilepsy and why they can be useful.

Before that, there are three steps:

  1. Understand the nature of epilepsy and recognize potential triggers.
  2. Know the three challenges faced by people with epilepsy prior to employment: seizure control, driving restrictions, and the decision to disclose or not.
  3. Be aware of the importance of respecting medical confidentiality and understand the key role the occupational physician can play in defining and implementing the necessary reasonable accommodations.

After studying this module, you will achieve the following learning outcomes:

  • You will be able to understand limitations identified by a PwE
  • You will be better equipped to implement appropriate accommodations for people with epilepsy in the workplace.

The module includes 5 sections.

Testimony from Stéphane[1]:

“Epilepsy turned my life upside down overnight,” he says. “I was a company director and one day I woke up and had completely forgotten everything about my life, from my earliest childhood right up to the present day. I couldn’t remember a thing. Today, I have between one and four seizures a month. Sometimes I fall, sometimes not. The memory loss is a little less frequent, but it’s still a problem. The other symptoms are not talked about, and that’s the problem. Epilepsy is just as mysterious to neurologists at times,” explains François, who has been falling more and more often recently, as evidenced by his bandage hiding a small scar on his left temple. “I’ve had some bad luck here,” admits Stéphane. “I have to be honest, January 2020 wasn’t a great month for me. I’ve had epilepsy for almost five years now. But I’ve fallen down a lot.” Every day, Stéphane takes four different medications, some of which ‘shoot’ him up, as he puts it, and can make him lose his words. But he’s lost a lot more since he became epileptic. “I’ve lost my business, I can’t work any more, I’ve had major problems in my relationship,” sums up the forty-year-old fatalistically. The only positive thing is that I’ve kept a beautiful little girl. But my life has been completely turned upside down.”

[1] Fillon, N. (2020, 10 février). TÉMOIGNAGE – « L’épilepsie a fait basculer ma vie ». Ici Par France Bleu et France 3. https://www.francebleu.fr/infos/sante-sciences/journee-internationale-de-l-epilepsie-l-epilepsie-a-fait-basculer-ma-vie-1581098974