Epilepsy Ontario, Epilepsy Toronto and Epilepsy Durham Region are collaborating this weekend to bring an interactive display about epilepsy to BRAINFest, a family-friendly celebration of brain research at Toronto’s Ontario Science Centre.
BRAINFest will also provide an understanding of how people in different aspects of brain-health research are aligning their efforts to raise awareness and to improve the lives of people affected by epilepsy and other neurological conditions.
The purpose of BRAINFest is to share the latest developments in brain research with the public and to connect that research with the community, says Jordan Antflick, senior outreach lead with the Ontario Brain Institute (OBI).
A major focus of BRAINFest’s epilepsy segment is to promote epilepsy@work, an online resource developed by Epilepsy Toronto to help those employing people with epilepsy better understand, address and manage the needs of employees living with a seizure disorder.
Employers using the toolkit will find information about strategies they can use to best accommodate employees with a seizure disorder. The toolkit offers resources focused on three primary areas: understanding epilepsy; seizure safety; and first aid, just-in-time resources for human-resources professionals, managers and occupational health and safety specialists.
One of the most challenging aspects of epilepsy is not so much the disorder itself but the stigma attached to it. The epilepsy segment of BRAINFest will attempt to raise awareness about the condition so the public has a better understanding, Antflick says.
One of the challenges people living with seizure disorders face is finding and maintaining employment. This is where educating people about resources like epilepsy@work comes into play.
“The hope is that by (hosting an epilepsy segment at BRAINFest) it will allow the epilepsy groups to interact with the audience and have some direct contact to increase the education awareness about epilepsy,” Antflick tells Voices of Epilepsy.
“The idea (of BRAINFest) is to get people to learn about brain disorders. We want people to understand that Ontario has a historical strength in brain research and care for people with brain disorders, and this is a celebration of those people and their efforts.”
BRAINFest is an interactive exhibit being held at the Ontario Science Centre in partnership with OBI Jan. 17-18. Click here for more information.
Writer: Deron Hamel
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