Epilepsy is one of the more severe types of seizure disorders that you can have. While some individuals continue to work after receiving such a diagnosis, others aren’t able to continue doing so because their risk for suffering an additional seizure is too unpredictable. Even if someone seems capable of continuing to work, they may be unable to do so in the same role on similar terms to what they’ve grown accustomed to holding.
Employees with epilepsy may have to request that their employers move them into different roles with the company, especially if it involves climbing or working around hazardous machinery. Anyone prone to epileptic seizures may be unable to fly, operate a vehicle or perform neurosurgery anymore.
Anyone who has a seizure disorder may require a modification to their workspace to make it safer in case they seize while on the job. One common request that individuals with epilepsy make is a modification of work hours. Regularly rotating shifts or night shifts that deprive a worker of sleep may make a person with epilepsy more vulnerable to suffering a seizure.
Someone with epilepsy may also find it necessary to demand that their employer place them in a carpeted or padded room to cushion their fall if they have a seizure. A worker with a type of epilepsy makes them prone to wander may need to create a sign-in and out sheet or have their office placed some distance from stairways so that their colleagues don’t have to worry about where they are and if they’ll fall down the stairs.
Workers with epilepsy may also have to wear special safety equipment to keep themselves injury-free should they seize while working around bodies of water, machinery or at heights.
While many workers with epilepsy can take medications to regulate the frequency of seizures, this isn’t an option for others. Even if an employee does take prescription drugs, it may only reduce the incidence of their seizures. They may be pretty intense when they do occur.
You probably won’t qualify for Social Security Disability (SSD) for your condition if it’s well-managed and allows you to keep working. You may successfully do so if you’ve experienced cognitive declines due to your epilepsy and other co-occurring diagnoses. An attorney in Oklahoma City can assess your case and advise you whether it warrants you filing a claim.