Were you told you can't be a police officer or firefighter because you have epilepsy? If so, we want to know. Please share your story via email at [email protected]. Be sure to include your name, address and phone number so that we can contact you.
There are no federal laws barring people with epilepsy from working as a firefighter, police officer, correctional officer or in other law enforcement officer (LEO) jobs. In fact, federal civil rights law, and many state laws, may protect your right to work in these professions. Some private organizations do, however, recommend that LEOs and firefighters meet certain medical requirements as a precondition for employment. These requirements, which have the effect of excluding many people with epilepsy from serving as a firefighter or LEO, have been adopted by many fire and police departments across the country. We believe such blanket policies violate federal civil rights laws and many state civil rights laws.
Under federal law, an employer generally cannot refuse to hire or fire an individual with a disability who is qualified to perform the essential functions of the job, with or without a reasonable accommodation, because of his disability. The only two exceptions are 1) if the individual poses a "direct threat" to the health or safety of himself or others, and this risk cannot be eliminated by using a reasonable accommodation, or 2) providing the reasonable accommodation would impose an undue burden on the employer in terms...
Image: Xinhua The China Coast Guard (CCG) on Thursday warned the Philippine side to immediately stop its infringements, provocations and false claims after a Philippine Coast Guard vessel transpor...