Employment Issues

Today, people with epilepsy are working at thousands of different kinds of jobs.  While most of these people have excellent seizure control, not all of them do.

Having occasional (or even fairly frequent) seizures may make your job hunt more difficult, but not impossible.  People with epilepsy can face significant challenges in the workplace, and there are many efforts to increase employment of people with epilepsy and their success rates in the workplace.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) were enacted to prohibit disability-based discrimination, including discrimination by employers or potential employers. These laws have particular impact on people with epilepsy who face issues like safety-sensitive jobs and reasonable accommodation.

Military Service

Although there are many laws now that protect individuals with disabilities, the armed services are not required to follow them. The military is exempt from the mandates of non-discrimination imposed by the civil rights laws of the federal government.

Department of Defense (DoD) requires readiness for worldwide service at any time, with few limitations. Assignments may be made to areas where medical facilities are nonexistent or inadequately equipped to treat specific disorders. Although there are provisions for retaining members who develop a medical condition that prohibits them from being assigned to such areas, the size of this population must be kept as small as possible to prevent an inability to deploy personnel in the event of a military emergency.