Accommodations & Workarounds

A lot of people with epilepsy don't request accommodations because they don't know what's possible — or they assume everything is a big deal. It's usually not.

The ADA requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations unless it would be an undue hardship. In practice, most epilepsy-related accommodations are small changes to how things are already done. You're not asking for special treatment. You're asking for adjustments that let you do the job you were hired to do.

If your employer said "let us know what you need" and you didn't know what to say — this is where you start.

Organized by the problem they solve, not by accommodation category — because you're not searching for "cognitive supports," you're searching for "I keep forgetting things at work."

"I need a predictable schedule."

Rotating shifts can destabilize seizure control — research confirms sleep deprivation is an independent seizure trigger even after controlling for other factors, and permanent night shift work is associated with a 29% higher epilepsy risk. Accommodations include:

• Consistent start times
• Straight shifts instead of rotating ones
• Flexible hours during medication changes
• Modified attendance policies that account for the unpredictable nature of seizures

If you need to rest after a seizure at work, that's a legitimate accommodation too — not a personal favor.

"My memory and focus aren't what they used to be."

This might be the medication, the seizures, or both. Either way, it's real and it's common — research describes cognitive effects of anti-seizure medications as sometimes "more debilitating than the seizures themselves," with memory, attention, and mental slowing as the dominant areas affected. Low-cost tools include:

• Written instructions
• Checklists for multi-step tasks
• Electronic reminders
• Breaking large projects into smaller pieces
• Color-coded systems

These address something that may be more functionally limiting day-to-day than the seizures themselves.

"The lights bother me."

A note: photosensitive epilepsy affects roughly 3–5% of people with epilepsy, so this may not apply to you. But if it does, it matters a lot. For those affected, fluorescent lighting and screen flicker can be seizure triggers. Straightforward changes include replacing fluorescents with full-spectrum lighting, using anti-glare screen filters, or repositioning a desk away from flickering light sources.

"I can't drive right now."

Driving restrictions are one of the most practically devastating parts of epilepsy for working adults. Every state allows driving with controlled seizures, but seizure-free periods required before getting your license back vary from 3 to 12 months. Accommodations include:

• Telework
• Adjusted schedules to align with public transit
• Pairing with a coworker for off-site meetings
• Facilitating carpools

"What if I have a seizure at work?"

A seizure action plan — what to do, what not to do, when to call 911 — shared with your team is one of the most practical things you can put in place. It costs nothing and it directly addresses the fear and confusion that makes coworkers and managers uncomfortable. When people know what to do, they panic less. When they panic less, they treat you more normally afterward — and that aftermath is where most workplace problems actually happen.

Coworker education is one of the most underused accommodations available — and it's not on most accommodation request lists.

When your coworkers don't understand epilepsy, a seizure at work becomes a crisis for everyone. People panic. They call 911 unnecessarily. They whisper afterward. They treat you differently.

When your coworkers have been briefed — when they know what a seizure looks like for you, what to do, and what not to do — the dynamic changes. The seizure is still hard. But the aftermath is manageable.

We should be honest: the research on whether workplace education produces lasting attitude changes is still developing. What we know is that seizure action plans as a practical tool are well-supported, and that familiarity with a condition consistently reduces fear in the short term. Whether that translates into permanently changed workplace behavior hasn't been rigorously studied yet. We think it's worth doing. The evidence base is catching up to the logic.

You can do this through a formal seizure action plan shared with your team, or through a conversation you initiate. Either way, it's turning fear into familiarity.

Knowing what to ask for is half the battle. The other half is the conversation.

You don't have to disclose your diagnosis to request accommodations. Under the ADA, you need to indicate you have a medical condition that requires an adjustment. Your employer can ask for medical documentation, but they can't demand your full medical history.

Frame it as problem-solving, not a demand. "I've noticed that my medication causes concentration issues in the afternoon. Could we try shifting my detail-heavy work to mornings?" is more effective than "I need accommodations under the ADA."

Put it in writing. A written request creates a record. It doesn't have to be formal or legal-sounding — a clear email works. Our Accommodation Request Generator builds one for you based on your specific needs.

Know that "no" isn't always the end. The ADA requires an interactive process — a back-and-forth conversation to find what works. If your first request is denied, your employer is required to explore alternatives with you.

Sometimes the issue isn't that you need a schedule change or a checklist. Sometimes the job itself doesn't fit anymore — and that's a different conversation.

If you've been consistently underemployed, if the accommodations available don't address the core limitations you're experiencing, or if you're stuck in a role that's safe but has no growth path — vocational rehabilitation might be the next step, not another accommodation request.

VR services exist specifically for this. About 43.5% of previously unemployed people with epilepsy who received VR services achieved competitive employment — and specific services like job placement and vocational training were significant predictors of success. The evidence base for VR in epilepsy specifically is still developing, but the services are real, the success rates are meaningful, and accessing them isn't a sign of failure. It's strategy.