When Enjoying Recreational Activities

The Situation: You are at a movie theatre, have a seizure and recover quickly with the help of your companion.  After you have settled back into your seat, the theater manager approaches you and asks you to leave, citing the fear that you may have another event and hurt yourself in their facility.

The Discussion: Isolating yourself from friends and activities that you enjoy is not necessary.  And it isn’t a constructive path to follow on the road to keeping healthy in mind and in body. It’s important to put epilepsy in its place and not allow it, anyone or anything to direct your every move or keep you from reasonable activities. 

The Plan: Know your rights! In the situation above, you would have been discriminated against and federal law prohibits this kind of discrimination.  It is unlawful for a public facility to disqualify you from participating in their event or enjoying the same activities in their facility that everyone else can, based solely on your disability. 

For clarification of the laws that protect you, please visit the following sites:

• Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act
http://www.ada.gov/reg3a.html

• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/civilrights/resources/factsheets/504.pdf

• National Epilepsy Foundation Fact Sheet on Public Accommodations
http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/answerplace/Legal/publicaccommodation/title3.cfm