Epilepsy Foundation of Rochester-Syracuse-Binghamton

Take Action!

Urge your Senators to cosponsor S. 2860 and your Representative to cosponsor H.R. 4247: "The Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools Act".

This new bill in Congress has been endorsed by the Epilepsy Foundation. The National Epilepsy Foundation is asking everyone to join in a National Call-in Day on Friday, February 26th to ask your Senators and Representative to cosponsor this legislation.

• Call your Senators and Representative via the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.
• Ask for the offices of your US Senators and Representative (you may have to call the swithboard for each call)
• Ask to speak to the staff person working on education issues
• Identify yourself as a constituent
• Ask them to cosponsorHR 4247 or S.2860, legislation that preventsthe harmful use of restraint and seclusion in schools
• Or click here to send an e-mail

"The Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools Act" (HR 4247 and S. 2860) is needed to protect children's health and safety in schools. The use of restraint and seclusion in schools is all too common and extremely harmful. Reports have detailed hundreds of abusive uses of the practice, most frequently on children aged 6-10 and disproportionately on children with disabilities like epilepsy.

H.R. 4247 and S. 2860 would limit, but not completely ban, the use of restraint and seclusion in schools. It would require states to develop policies for the use of restraint and seclusion and allow this extreme practice only in an emergency. The bills would also provide grants to better train school staff.

The bipartisan House version was introduced by Representatives George Miller (D-CA) and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA). The Senate version was sponsored by Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT).

The Epilepsy Foundation urges you to call and email your legislators and urge him/her to cosponsor S. 2860 and HR 4247.

Let's put our brains together to support brain research.

This is the mantra of the 2010 Neuro Film Festival, a contest held by the American Academy of Neurology Foundation to help raise awareness about brain disorders and the need to support research into preventions, treatments, and cures.

The American Academy of Neurology encourages patients of all brain disorders, epilepsy, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and others, to make a video about their experiences. These videos are inspiring and heartbreaking. They range from a child discussing the devastating effects of Alzheimer's to parents discussing how they made the decision for their child to have brain surgery.

Check them out on the Neuro Film Festivals YouTube Channel

Contact Congress Today

Take Action!

Please send an email to your Senators and Representative today supporting healthcare reform.

The Epilepsy Foundation joins the healthcare community's call for comprehensive healthcare reform. We understand that this legislation is not a perfect solution, but we urge Congress not to lose the momentum and the historic progress on health insurance reforms because of the inability to reach 100% agreement on all issues.

From the beginning, the Epilepsy Foundation has been advocating that any healthcare reform bill must include the following provisions that are critically important to people with epilepsy:

* Allow individuals to keep their current health insurance plans.

* End pre-existing conditions exclusions and denials of coverage due to health.

* Require insurance plans to provide free (or nearly free) routine preventive care.

* Limit out-of-pocket expenses (such as deductibles and co-payments).

* Eliminate lifetime caps and restrict annual limits on health insurance coverage.

People with epilepsy understand that the current system is not working; there are too many obstacles that prevent full access to health insurance benefits and services. If enacted, healthcare reform developed by the Senate and House will make it easier for people with epilepsy to receive the medical care and treatment they need.

Click here to send an e-mail to your elected officials!