Epilepsy Foundation Launches Spanish-Language Epilepsy Learning Portal

Portal de Aprendizaje Para La Epilepsia Will Offer Online and On-Demand Seizure First Aid Trainings & Other Educational Tools In-Language

BOWIE, MD, October 12, 2023 — In collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Epilepsy Foundation launched a new Epilepsy Learning Portal for the Hispanic community to increase awareness and knowledge about seizures and epilepsy. The culturally relevant Epilepsy Learning Portal, called Portal de Aprendizaje Para la Epilepsia, is a one-stop shop to access the Epilepsy Foundation’s Spanish-language online and on-demand trainings about epilepsy and seizures. This resource will provide Hispanics with relevant educational content so that they can access the care they need and offer the opportunity to gain skills to better respond to someone having a seizure.

“Our organizational focus is to improve health outcomes for everyone impacted by epilepsy, including those in racial and ethnic communities,” said Bernice Martin Lee, chief executive officer, Epilepsy Foundation. “Epilepsy is a chronic health condition that requires easily accessible comprehensive management tools and a strong support system, which communities of color may lack. Implementing initiatives, such as the culturally relevant Epilepsy Learning Portal, can bring about tangible improvements in both seizure control and overall quality of life.”

Racial and ethnic communities represent more than 40% of the 3.4 million people living with epilepsy in the U.S., 710,000 of which are Hispanics. The Portal de Aprendizaje is one way the Epilepsy Foundation is addressing the needs of Hispanics with epilepsy, an overlooked and underserved population. The goal is to equip them with the knowledge and tools they need to manage their epilepsy and achieve seizure control.

"Health disparities and language barriers can often pose challenges for some Hispanics with epilepsy. Cultural factors must be factored in the recommendations of all evaluation and treatment options which can ensure their access to all available therapies,” said Dr. Andres Kanner, M.D. F.A.N.A., F.A.A.N, F.A.E.S, chief of the Epilepsy Division, and director of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center of Excellence, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine. “That is why culturally relevant education about epilepsy and seizures in their native language is so important for this population. The Portal de Aprendizaje is a great resource that can help improve Hispanics’ knowledge about epilepsy, different treatments, and achieving seizure control."

The Portal de Aprendizaje Para la Epilepsia includes seizure first aid trainings in Spanish and resources that have been culturally adapted for the Hispanic community. The portal was created based on the Epilepsy Foundation’s approved seizure first aid guidelines, as well as feedback from epilepsy specialists, healthcare providers, community-based organizations and Hispanics living with epilepsy and seizures. 

To access the portal, visit aprende.epilepsy.com. For information about epilepsy and seizures in Spanish, visit laepilepsia.org. 

About Epilepsy

According to the World Health Organization, epilepsy is the most common serious brain disorder worldwide with no age, racial, social class, national or geographic boundaries. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) estimates that 3.4 million people in the United States are affected by epilepsy. Epilepsy is the underlying tendency of the brain to produce seizures which are sudden abnormal bursts of electrical energy that disrupt brain functions. 

About the Epilepsy Foundation

With a network of partners throughout the United States, the Epilepsy Foundation is leading the fight to overcome the challenges of living with epilepsy. The Foundation connects people to treatment, support, and resources; leads advocacy efforts; funds innovative research and the training of specialists; and educates the public about epilepsy and seizure first aid. For more than five decades, the Epilepsy Foundation has shone a light on epilepsy to promote awareness and understanding, and to advocate for laws that matter to people with epilepsy, while also funding epilepsy research and supporting epilepsy investigators and specialists in their early careers. In partnership with the CDC, the Epilepsy Foundation has helped to improve access to care for people with epilepsy, expanded its digital reach and online resources in homes across the country, and trained more than 600,000 people in seizure recognition and first aid. The Epilepsy Foundation continues to focus on serving the epilepsy community through advocacy, education, direct services, and research for new therapies. To learn more visit epilepsy.com or call 1.800.332.1000; in Spanish at 866.748.8008 or laepilepsia.org. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube.