Barriers to employment among people with epilepsy: Report of a focus group

Abstract

Attaining employment as a person with epilepsy often involves the negotiation of numerous obstacles. Complex and interrelated, these obstacles include navigating the relationship between work, epilepsy, and its treatment, often in the context of negative and uninformed attitudes and beliefs of employers and co-workers. This article reports the results of a focus group in which the employment-related challenges and successes of people with epilepsy were explored. The results underscore the complexity of the process of seeking, attaining, and maintaining work as a person with epilepsy. The results are discussed in terms of the implications for rehabilitation professionals who are working to help people with epilepsy to successfully find and maintain employment.