Who We Are
People with seizures and epilepsy face discrimination in many aspects of life, including work, school, and community life.
If you are a person with epilepsy, family or friend, attorney, or advocate, get legal help and information here at the Jeanne A. Carpenter Epilepsy Legal Defense Fund.
Our Goals
- To end epilepsy-related discrimination and injustice through public education
- To increase access to legal services through a system of managed referrals to a network of attorneys
- To change discriminatory practices, policies, and laws
Our Priorities
The Epilepsy Foundation's Jeanne A. Carpenter Epilepsy Legal Defense Fund fights epilepsy discrimination in:
- Employment
- Education
- Public accommodations (such as camps, childcare facilities, stores, hotels, theaters, fitness clubs)
- Programs and services, including police and first responder training
- Housing
- Insurance
- Criminal justice concerns
How We Make a Difference
Great strides have been made in diagnosing and treating epilepsy, a neurological disease characterized by recurring seizures. Despite these advances, epilepsy continues to evoke negative stereotypes, fear and discrimination.
For example:
- A man from New York was denied a job opportunity due to a blanket policy excluding applicants taking seizure medications.
- A man from Indiana was arrested and charged with a criminal offense after a seizure
- A child from Maryland was denied access to a camp because he needed a rescue medication for seizures.
The Epilepsy Defense Fund’s network attorneys have worked to resolve these types of discriminatory practices.
“Thank you for help setting a solid foundation for me and my lawyer to work with...please keep doing what you do. And thank you again for your hard work and support.-James S., consumer.
Contact Us
- For specific legal and epilepsy issues, visit here.
- For general legal questions, email legalrights@efa.org.
- Donate to Epilepsy Foundation programs and services, including the Jeanne A. Carpenter Legal Defense Fund.
Read past newsletter from the Jeanne A. Carpenter Legal Defense Fund.
Reviewed By:
Joseph I. Sirven MD / Patricia O. Shafer RN MN
on:
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
