Good jobs for people with epilepsy

[Bernard]

After just discovering and reading through the fine forums at the Epilepsy Foundation (eCommunity) and National Society for Epilepsy (UK) (Epilepsy Forum), I got to thinking about the ideal jobs for folks with severe epilepsy - folks who cannot drive and would prefer to work from home. Some ideas that come to mind:

• Computer programmer - develop and sell applications or offer freelance programming on a consulting basis
• Writer - Write articles for magazines or publish your own books
• Web site(s) owner - There is tremendous opportunity to make a buck with a good idea on the internet
• Web directory editor - There are many paid submission internet directories that pay editors to process submissions. You can work on your own schedule.

What other ideas can you think of?

 

[Bernard]

elance.com has a lot of outsourcing projects / freelance work available for the bidding. Might be a good resource for anyone who needs flexibility in their work schedule.

 

[Thor]

Adding to the above.
I did have a look around and after rejecting a lot of sites; I found this one.
I traced it and also checked it in the DNSBL(s) and checked it with many other anti-spam outfits too!
Also I did a 'whois' on the re-direct page(s) to see if they were spam and they were okay too.

working from home

Cheers,
Dave
ps. if you/anyone wants to check a site, check out Sam Spade

 

[Axa]

Well, let us return to the jobs, "suitable" for people with epilepsy.
I am free-lance TRANSLATOR, so I work at home and it is obvious that this kind of job is ideal for people with epilepsy.

But on the other side, my standpoint is that we shouldn't self-restrict ourselves to "home jobs" - that way we ourselves do what employers wish to do ... expell us from society. I don't work at home because of epilepsy but simply because there is no positions for translators of philosopy & art theory etc. It is normally that we work as a free-lancers.

I used to work as an ART DIRECTOR in ad-agency and I think that was as suitable job as working at home. I've never had any troubles because of the E, also my work wasn't "dangerous" in any way, it was creative (in a way), dynamic and there was no need to drive a car. So working in ad-agency is another job I think as suitable.

From time to time I work as THEATRE DRAMATURGIST. Work in a theatre is higly OK for people with epilepsy since theatre people are much more open minded than general population, believe me. In theatre I've seen quite a lot of people who would be "unsuitable" everywhere else working happily.

I think ALL the jobs - with exception of those known as "no" jobs (notorious pilot etc.) - are suitable for people with epilepsy.

Axa

 

[Bernard]

Hi Axa, welcome to the forum!

It looks like my choice of wording was not the best. I didn't mean suitable in the sense of appropriate - I meant practical. If you aren't mobile, many jobs are just out of reach. Certainly, anyone who lacks a drivers license might still find the necessary means to get around, whether finding a chauffer, bus or something else.

my standpoint is that we shouldn't self-restrict ourselves to "home jobs" - that way we ourselves do what employers wish to do ... expell us from society.

I'm not sure that I agree with your characterization of "employers", though I'm sure that every company does what it perceives to be in its own best interest. My wife was lucky enough to work for an industrial waste processing company that was very supportive and has asked her to come back to work for them several times. Good companies and good people are out there.

Thanks for sharing the tip on translation services. That sounds like a great idea. With all the time I have spent overseas, I should have thought about that (and offering language courses/classes as well).

What languages do you speak?

 

[Axa]

Dear Bernard,

here in Slovenia people with epilepsy usually don't have any major troubles with employment. My standpoint was based on what I have read on different forums where people were complaining about discrimination and/or different troubles connected with their working environment.

At British e-forum I searched through the memberlist: a lot of people are without a job, also there are too many "mums" for my "taste"; this could also means simply "unemployed". It just seems that among the members of the forum there are some more unemployed than in general population.

Well, this is just my personal impression, not based on statistics, also this group is not an representative one. Besides, I don't know anything about the level of unemployment in GB. Maybe this is also matter of cultural differences: in Slovenia virtually ALL women are employed; we don't have "stay at home mums", if I don't count farmer families and unemployed women. Personally I don't know even one single stay at home mum, and I know a lot of women, believe me. We work even there is no economic need to work.

It would be great if someone would do some research about unemployment and people with epilepsy.

Sorry, I forgot about American "driving culture" ... I live in a capital of Slovenia (tiny country with less than 2.000.000 people). Ljubljana is also quite small town (200.000 inhabitants) with good & cheap public transport and not all that expensive cabs, so getting around isn't a big problem.

I speak Slovenian (my native language), English, German, Italian, Serbian, Croatian & Bosnian (they are similar and my mother is Montenegrian, so I learned Serbian when I was a toddler).

I translate from English, Serbian, Croatian & Bosnian.

German & Italian are just my pet languages ... I understand Spanish, but I am not very good at talking; it is just reading "skill", since it is similar enough to Italian.

Sorry for my English ... I am (so they say) very good at translating FROM English into Slovenian, but I am not translating the other way, since I am not competent enough.


Love

Axa

 

[Bernard]

One my greatest regrets is not listening to my parents when I was younger and they urged me to learn (more) foreign languages. I can get by in Spanish, though I'm by no means anywhere near fluent.

One of my brothers learned "Serbo-Croatian" when he was in the Air Force. I don't know if it was Serbian, Croatian or both, but he is a natural linguist and picks up new languages easily.

Your English is perfectly fine. If you had not mentioned that it wasn't your first language, I doubt anyone would have been able to guess.

Re: American driving culture --> Yes, you really need a car or comparable transportation to maximize your freedom of choice over here. Not having transportation is a definite handicap over here IMO.

I'm not familiar with the work culture in the UK, but I think there is a renewed shift here the USA towards stay at home parents (note that it is not uncommon anymore for the husband/father to stay home) where economically feasible. But, that is just my unresearched opinion.

 

[Axa]

Dear Bernard,

thanks for your compliment about my English ... I am really honoured. I haven't studied languages so I always feel incompetent in comparision to my colegues with linguistic degrees. Namely, I have graduated in comparative literature & sociology of culture. Later I've nearly finished postgraduate study of dramaturgy but since I began to work extensively in theatres, I've never finished it.

Women here usually decide to work because the maternity leave is long enough (one year) and fully paid. Fathers can take part of this leave. Till child's second or third year usually grannies play the role of "substitutional mothers". If this option is unavailable, child is visiting the day nursery. There are a lot of kindergartens here; in towns they are usually not more than five minutes of walk away from any home. Also some factories and bigger enterprises have their own kindergartens. It was during the socialistic era in Yugoslavia that nearly all women began to work (equal status of men and women).

I just can't imagine myself spending the money I haven't earned. I can't imagine to be dependent on anybody. What if we separate? What if he dies? Yes, there are insurances etc. - but I just prefer to be on my own. And most important: what would I do in my life without the job??? I would surely die of boredom.

I am aware of cultural differences between Europe and USA and I am aware that it's hard to put a foot in someone else's shoes ... So, let me "enlighten" you about Slovenian women: we are capable of sharing the bed and the table - but not the bank account

Best

Axa

 

[howdydave]

Howdy!

Good jobs for people with epilepsy....

Here is a list of some of the jobs I've had:

• Software Engineer
  Computer Specialist (US Government)
  Technical Writer
  Proof Reader
  Webmaster

Now I'm looking to get back onto the job market. My prime objective at this point is to get a job with the Federal Government (USA.) There are 2 reasons for this job security and the federal government's benefits program.

As a person with epilepsy I qualify for consideration under Schedule A (non-compeditive status) which gives me a boost due to the fact that the federal government still uses a quota system and is always looking for people with disabilities .

Go to the USAJOBS site.

Get yourself registered and create an online resume for yourself. You can then submit an online applcation for jobs with the government.

The tricky part is figuring out which bracket you are qualified for. Most positions are classified as GS-xxxx-yy.

Where the xxxx is the code for the job title and the yy (01-15) is your "rank" depending on your work experience and education aka "pay grade range".

Once you figure out what your rank is (I'm a GS-09) you can search for all of the jobs that fall within your rank or you can search for specific jobs by title, description, government agency and/or location.

 

[Bernard]

Cool. I didn't know that, but then I've always had an entreprenurial bent. Good luck with the job hunt!

 

[Bernard]

Here's a nice article on a company that helps people with epilepsy find good jobs:

Joyce Bender found out she had epilepsy after fracturing her skull and having emergency brain surgery. Physicians told her she might not live.

That revelation following a Feb. 10, 1995, seizure and injuries at a movie theater was the start of a turnaround in Bender's life -- and the lives of hundreds of people living with handicaps in Western Pennsylvania.

Bender was back at her executive search firm, Bender & Associates International in Robinson, within 2 1/2 months of the diagnosis, but something was different. The time she spent in rehabilitation put her in touch with others with disabilities and started what she calls a personal crusade.

"Ten years ago, I started Bender Consulting Services Inc., a for-profit company to help handicapped people find meaningful jobs," said Bender, 51, of New Galilee, Beaver County.

...

Bender Consulting provides companies with handicapped workers, specifically entry-level personnel in such fields as human resources, engineering and information technology. And it doesn't just match employers with potential employees.

"The people that we place at various companies work for me for the first six months," Bender said. "We pay their salary, we pay full benefits coverage with no premium cost to them. At the end of six months, if they have done the job, and the company wants to hire them, they can."

In the last decade, Bender has hired roughly 200 workers with handicaps. The vast majority were hired by the companies with which they were placed.

Company evens field for disabled

 

[MyBabyGirlAbigailFaith]

I agree with Bernard

I own a home business and you do not get here by paying "fees". Elance seems like it might be legit but if there is anyone on there that want a fee to make you work for them is not a "true" oppurtunity. I have a business that I have to do at home b/c I have a daughter with epilepsy so I need to be with her. Please do not give people money to help scam others the way they are going to scam you. You may have to build something by yourself to make sure that you are not going to get scammed. I started with a simple website and a domain name and made it a .com & now we are doing ok. Its not going to make you rich! (Although people will promise this) You get the same $ as you would working an out of home job. Thanks

 

[POSITIVEPERSON]

I got my epilepsy when I was 11 yrs old, I worked in sales, shoes, jewerly, selling making jewerly. I worked at the federal reserve bank (boring) . Than I went to school for recreational therapist, what I finally finished was cooking school and I worked from my home as a corperate caterer in MTL . I loved it while I was well , till the meds ran me into the ground.

Now that I am going off my meds and restarting up my life , I have no idea what I will do next?????

Riva

 

[1096]

equality

you can do anything!

however i do not advise call centers/telemarketing as of the stress...

 

[Stacy]

Hello Axa!

Welcome to the forum! I completely understand how you feel about being totally dependent on someone. I have that same feeling. This has been a source of many sore discussions. I do have an MS in Environmental Science and have a very impressive resume. I'm not worried about being able to become employed, but the time gap is growing larger from when I worked until now. My life is like a soap opera... very entertaining.

Also, just for the record, my father's mother was Polish and her family came from Chezlovakia (please excuse the spelling). I'm in the process of learning Spanish, as it's the one closest to us. It's amazing how so many people speak so many languages.

My mother was also an actress, that helped do set work, as well as wrote free lance articles for a travel agency.

 

[jeanette]

I would have loved to work but found that I was getting too tired and could not bring up a family and work.After having gone into Status several times I made the choice to stay at home. Now I am unemployable as I am nearly at pension age and have no work experience.Axa, things must be very different where you live. Many of us who do not work do so because of our health and not because we are lazy.

 

[BIGMAN131307]

After just discovering and reading through the fine forums at the Epilepsy Foundation (eCommunity) and National Society for Epilepsy (UK) (Epilepsy Forum), I got to thinking about the ideal jobs for folks with severe epilepsy - folks who cannot drive and would prefer to work from home. Some ideas that come to mind:

• Computer programmer - develop and sell applications or offer freelance programming on a consulting basis
• Writer - Write articles for magazines or publish your own books
• Web site(s) owner - There is tremendous opportunity to make a buck with a good idea on the internet
• Web directory editor - There are many paid submission internet directories that pay editors to process submissions. You can work on your own schedule.

What other ideas can you think of?

Those are some very good jobs to try. It would be great working on your own schedule. For some 8AM-4PM, 9AM-5PM are good hours to work. While others (like me) prefer 11PM-7AM, 12AM-8AM. At this time I'm thinking about writing a book. Hopefully I will beable to find a decent priced publisher when I'm ready.

Does anyone happen to know where I could take an Aptitude Test online for free? There are lots of things I'm good at, and several things I'd like to try. Deciding what I want to do is the hard part. If anyone knows, post here or PM me.

 

[Bernard]

I got started with programming computers when I was a teenager. I wrote my own computer games. I think if you like building things (LEGOs were one of my favorite toys as a child), you would do fine with programming or website development. It helps to have a strong aptitude for mathematics.

You might find this Programmer Personality Test interesting.

 

[BIGMAN131307]

Thx, Bernard that test was good. But unfortunately I've taken that test before. I know what types of jobs to look into. The problem is narrowing it down to a few. That's why I want to find an Aptitude Test I can take online for free. Why should I pay to have someone tell me that:

Suggested Careers for Jungian Type Type: ISTJ - Business executives, administrators and managers, accountants, police, detectives, judges, lawyers, medical doctors, dentists, computer programmers, systems analysts, computer specialists, auditors, electricians, math teachers, mechanical engineers, steelworkers, technicians, militia members. Similar to the ESTJ, they have a knack for detail and memorization, but work more behind the scenes instead of up front as a leader.

I need a lengthy Aptitude Test to filter out the jobs that wouldn't mix well with my personality.

 

[RobinN]

My daughters dream is to be a choreographer. She is a competitive figure skater, and has enjoyed this for the past 11 yrs. I think there is something about the musical side of her brain that does not trigger seizures. So maybe that would be a good therapy to keep the music playing 24/7 for her.