The workplace always represents a major challenge for people with epilepsy. A number of them have both the potential to work and the training they need. Everything is fine as long as they do not have a seizure. But the moment they do have a seizure, everything can change.
One girl I assisted had a very good education, she had passed an interview and she had got the job. Though she had not had a seizure, out of honesty, she decided to talk to her employer about it, and she was let go. That was a real shame for her because her epilepsy had never really affected her. When she was younger, she had been able to study without too much difficulty. When she mentioned it, she was fired, without really being told why. She was supposed to get married six months later and so was counting on that first job.
A lot remains to be done in this regard. Epilepsy is a neurological condition that still causes a lot of concern, because people are not aware of it and come up with their own ideas of what it might be without really knowing. So we have to work with employers on workplace awareness.
Sometimes, people have told me how open employers are. Epilepsy is such a common problem that it is not unusual for someone to know someone else who has it, a family member, a neighbour, a friend. In cases like that, employers are more receptive, but they are not in the majority. So an awful lot remains to be done.
I know one person with epilepsy who has not had a seizure for 15 years and has never told her employer. She was afraid of making a mistake that the employer might attribute to her epilepsy rather than to simple clumsiness. It causes people to keep their condition hidden. When a seizure happens, it surprises everyone. Sometimes it is not just the employer who can lack understanding, it can be the co-workers as well. This is a very important point and I thank you for drawing attention to it. There is a lot of work to be done.