The fifth annual Epilepsy Action Day at Queen’s Park on Dec. 1 was successful in its mission of engaging MPPs in the important issues facing people with seizure disorders, says Epilepsy Ontario executive director Rozalyn Werner-Arcé.
During the event there were three areas that representatives from Epilepsy Ontario and seven other epilepsy support agencies across the province asked the nearly 40 MPPs attending to focus on.
One is ensuring community-based services and Community Epilepsy liaisons are expanded across the province. Epilepsy agencies are also asking the government to protect and keep children safe at schools through programs devoted to seizure awareness, first-aid training and administration of rescue medications. Lastly, the MPPs were asked to advocate to Education Minister Liz Sandals to ensure neurological conditions are considered during the review of the “categories of exceptionalities” which is currently underway.
“Each year it keeps getting better and better,” Werner-Arcé says of Epilepsy Action Day. “I think that there is an increasing recognition about the impact that epilepsy has on our health-care system and on the lives of Ontarians.”
Aside from having MPPs’ keen interest in the issues facing
Ontarians living with epilepsy, Werner-Arcé says Epilepsy Action Day is also proving to be an excellent forum for strengthening relationships between epilepsy support agencies and the government.
“We were able to make new contracts and gain support for all three of our key messages,” she says.
Meeting with MPPs on a one-to-one basis also proved to be fruitful, Werner-Arcé notes. By taking time to speak with politicians individually the agencies’ representatives were able to get their buy-in, she adds.
Looking ahead, epilepsy support agencies will be meeting with the MPPs in their communities to continue fostering relationships and ensuring the dialogue is ongoing.
“We want to continue to work with government to ensure that people with epilepsy have access to the services that they need, whether it’s through getting treatment and community-based care, or
keeping kids safe at school and making sure that they get the kinds of educational supports they need so they can reach their full potential and develop into productive, contributing citizens,” she says.
Aside from Epilepsy Ontario staff attending the event, representatives were on hand from Epilepsy Toronto, Epilepsy Ottawa, Epilepsy Niagara, Epilepsy Durham Region, Epilepsy Halton Peel Hamilton, Epilepsy Kingston and London’s Epilepsy Support Centre.
Writer: Deron Hamel
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