Discrimination
If you have had a seizure on the job and now feel that you are being discriminated against, whether you have disclosed your epilepsy or not, it is important to know that there is help available for you. You might want to discuss your concerns with people you trust, like your family, close friends or members of your treatment team. They may be able to help you decide whether there might be real discrimination or if you are possibly misinterpreting an action or a behavior. If you feel that the possibility of discrimination is real, you should contact the nearest office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Someone will help you to determine whether you should file a charge of discrimination. Charges may be filed with the EEOC in person, by mail, or by telephone.
There are strict time frames for filing charges of employment discrimination. The EEOC field office nearest you can tell you which time period applies to you. However, you should file a charge as soon as possible after you believe the discrimination occurred.
To contact the EEOC, look in your telephone directory under U.S. Government or call:
1-800-669-4000 (voice)
Or 1-800-669-6820
Or visit http://www.eeoc.gov/
Here are some other helpful sites:
• Jeanne A Carpenter Epilepsy Legal Defense Fund
http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/epilepsylegal/
• Americans with Disabilities Act
http://www.ada.gov/
• Fact Sheet Addressing Workplace Rights of People with Epilepsy
http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/epilepsy.html