disability fact file ...

Epilepsy and "transient" disabilities

This website refers to epilepsy as a "transient" disability because, for some - or, in well controlled cases, most - of the time, people with epilepsy do not appear disabled. It is when an epileptic person has a seizure that his or her disability becomes apparent.

A similar situation also applies to a range of disabilities, including asthma, diabetes, angina, sleep apnoea, and some mental illnesses. In other cases, the level of impairment caused by a disability (eg arthritis, heart conditions) can vary from day to day. Epilepsy is concentrated on here, however, because seizures tend to happen suddenly, last for a few minutes, and then disappear. Epilepsy is also one of the more common, and certainly one of the most well known, "transient" disabilities.

(If anyone knows a more appropriate term for "transient" disabilities, please e-mail us and let us know!)

What is epilepsy ?

Epilepsy is a condition which causes seizures; these are caused by a "storm" of electron activity in the brain, which temporarily interferes with the brain's usual functions. Although it affects the brain, it is not a mental illness because it affects the "hardware" of the brain rather than the "software" of the mind.

There are two main types of seizure; a "petit mal" causes temporary paralysis, while a "grand mal" causes convulsions. Although the grand mal is less common than the petit mal, the grand mal is dominant in the public's perception of epilepsy.

In many cases, epilepsy can effectively be controlled - ie seizures prevented from occurring - by drug treatments.

Because epilepsy is a brain-related disability, some people with epilepsy also have learning disabilities.

How are people with "transient" disabilities handicapped by Capitalism ?

• A significant number of employers will still not employ people with transient disabilities, especially when not well controlled but occasionally also when well controlled.
• People with poorly controlled transient disabilities are not allowed to drive, and those whose disabilities are well controlled often suffer from higher car insurance premiums and licence restrictions. So many are reliant on the - increasingly expensive, unreliable and under-funded - public transport system.
• In some cases, "transient" disabilities can be obvious, leading to social stigma and overt prejudice and discrimination. This is especially true in a small, narrow-minded, comminity where word spreads quickly.
• People with transient disabilities are often banned from leisure activities, including holidays, allegedly for "safety reasons".
• Poorly designed video or game screens, badly positioned disco lights, or even poorly maintained flickering street lights, can aggravate photo-sensitive epilepsy.

Who else could gain by improvements which help people with transient disabilities ?

• Everyone makes mistakes sometimes. Well-designed facilities and a safe environment could stop such mistakes, as well as "blackouts" or other temporary incapacity, from leading to dangerous accidents.

Politically-correct language

• A seizure is not called a "fit". It is called a seizure, OK?
• Until the above is commonly accepted, we should avoid referring to malfunctioning equipment as "having a fit".

Links

• Epilepsy Action
• Growing Up With Epilepsy

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