Epilepsy Foundation of Northern California

Advocacy

 

 

President Bush signing the ADA Restoration Act into law.

ADA Signing

 



The California Epilepsy Foundation affiliates have formed an advocacy coalition to jointly affect legislative change at the state and national levels. This section of the website is part of our joint efforts and is intended to provide California residents with access to information about legal, employment, social service, and transportation issues that affect people with epilepsy.

How To Get Involved

Being a volunteer advocate requires no previous advocacy experience or training. You will always have the opportunity to work in advocacy teams with other family members, volunteers and health professionals. While you’ll always be provided background on the issue you’re discussing and statistics on epilepsy, your influence as an advocate will come in telling your story – how your life has been touched by epilepsy.

The California Council and Chapters provide many opportunities for volunteer advocates to become part of the Foundation’s advocacy team.

Opportunities include:

  • Visiting your elected state, federal and local legislators in their local offices
  • Responding to “alerts” to call or write your legislators on high priority issues affecting families living with epilepsy
  • Attending legislative hearings at the State Capitol in Sacramento
  • Attending Advocacy Day in Sacramento
  • Attending the Washington DC Public Policy Forum (spring each year)
  • Participating in advocacy training workshops in your community.

To sign up as an advocate, contact Bill Stack at williams@epilepsynorcal.org.

Sacramento Advocacy Day: To Be Announced

 Epilepsy Survey-Statistics will be used in our advocacy efforts.



Jeanne Carpenter Logo

The Jeanne A. Carpenter Epilepsy Legal Defense Fund has been created to help people with epilepsy fight discrimination. For more information about legal help and how the Jeanne A. Carpenter Epilepsy Legal Defense Fund can help you, please visit their website at www.epilepsylegal.org.



kidslogomed

The Kids Speak Up! program provides an opportunity for young people between the ages of 7-16 to come to Washington, D.C. to meet their elected officals to discuss epilepsy issues such as the need for public awareness, acceptance and the search for a cure. This is a unique opportunity to draw lawmakers' attention to epilepsy and increase public awareness of its challenges.This event will take place March 30-April 1, 2008 and is held in conjuction with the Epilepsy Foundation's Public Policy Institute.  Hurry and sign up; the application deadline is December 14, 2007!