• Putting work instructions in writing (rather than just giving them orally) if memory difficulties/deficits are a side effect of the seizure disorder or anti-epileptic medication.
• Scheduling consistent work shifts if seizure activity is made worse by inconsistent sleep patterns.
• Allowing an employee who experiences fatigue as a side effect of medication the place and opportunity to take frequent rest breaks.
• Allowing an employee to take time off to recover after a seizure.
For help with accommodation, contact the job accommodation specialist at the CCRW.. Phone 1-800-664-0925, or 416-260-3060. Job Accommodation Network is available to help online, through their interactive service. Log onto: www.jan.wvu.edu
What about jobs that require a driver's licence?
When hiring, an employer cannot discriminate against a person with epilepsy whose license has been medically suspended, unless driving is an essential component of the job. The employer must prove that a driver’s license is necessary, rather than just desirable. When a medical license suspension occurs for a current employee, the employer must make every reasonable effort to re-structure the job or re-arrange staff so that the worker retains his or her job at the same pay. Again, “undue hardship” on the employer as defined under the Human Rights Code is the only legal reason for not doing so.
Commercial driving is treated somewhat differently. Re-instatement of this category of license requires completion of a medical form and likely a neurologist’s report. Also the seizure-free period is usually longer.
Employment Alternatives
Volunteering is a wonderful way to gain experience and confidence in the job market.
If you have limited work experience, or have been away from the job market for a period, volunteering may give you the edge you need to be successful. Many employers give nearly as much credit for volunteer work as they do for paid work when considering your résumé. Volunteering can teach you new skills, or sharpen ones you already had. Volunteering can get you that vital reference you need to convince an employer to hire you. Volunteering also keeps you in touch with a certain field or area of work (in which you might later apply for a job).
Creative Alternatives to the 9-5 Job
Being productive and earning an income doesn’t have to mean a 9-5 job. More and more people are finding alternatives that suit their needs much better. Here are two examples:
Co-ops
Co-ops aren’t a new concept, but they are being revisited as a model for successful occupation. A co-op is a group of like-minded, diversely skilled people who establish a single enterprise. Members of co-ops are both owners and workers. Statistics show that co-ops have a 60% success rate, compared to other self-employment and entrepreneurship models. The federal government has recently recognized that co-ops may facilitate individuals with disabilities to achieve success where they otherwise might not.
In fact, in British Columbia, the federal government has created programs to help individuals with disabilities set up successful co-ops. It all starts with identifying business opportunities in the community. Healthy Harvest is an organic gardening coop founded by members with mental disabilities who raise organic produce for sale in and around Victoria. Members of the co-op indicate how many hours per day and week they are able to work. They’ve hired a manager to take care of the administration, marketing and bookkeeping, while they do what they love best, tending the soil and raising the food.
Entrepreneurship
If you are a business-minded person, with a strong desire for financial independence, who likes the idea of being your own boss, you might be interested in becoming an entrepreneur. Both federal and provincial governments, as well as the private sector, are beginning to recognize that entrepreneurship and self-employment are viable alternatives for people who have faced barriers to employment.
In British Columbia, the ABLED program offers mentors, help with business plans and flexible loans for entrepreneurs with disabilities. Recent projects include: a small self-publishing business, an exclusive North American distributorship of specialized sports equipment for people with disabilities, and a high tech biogenetics project.
Similar programs have been established in other provinces, in both rural and urban communities. This approach is clearly not for everyone. The failure rate can be high, but the risks are seriously assessed, and only those plans with a high likelihood of success will be supported.
