Epilepsy Action
Epilepsy Action is a UK based charity providing information, advice and support for people with epilepsy.[1]
The organisation was founded in 1950 as the British Epilepsy Association and adopted Epilepsy Action as its working name in 2002.
It provides freephone and email helplines and a wide range of information booklets. It has around 100 local support groups across England, Wales and Northern Ireland and a network of volunteers working in the community.
It also organises conferences for people with epilepsy and health professionals with an interest in the condition. It also has a website that includes information about epilepsy and runs an online community for people with the condition and their carers.
It undertakes and encourages non-laboratory research into epilepsy and the issues surrounding living with the condition.
The charity has received international media coverage on a number of occasions due to its work in highlighting bad practice in online videos in relation to photosensitive epilepsy.
- In 2007, it claimed that 30 people had seizures as a result of a segment of animated footage commissioned by the organising committee of the London 2012 Summer Olympics to promote its logo.[2][3]
- In 2011, Epilepsy Action highlighted issues with the video for the Kanye West song "All of the Lights". Tests of the video showed that it failed the flashing images guidelines set down by UK broadcasting watchdog Ofcom and so was likely to trigger a seizures in someone with photosensitive epilepsy. A warning was placed on YouTube for people watching the video on its website.
- In 2015, it highlighted advertisements posted on Vine by Twitter. The Advertising Standards Authority confirmed that Twitter were in breach of its guidelines[4]
Its headquarters are in Yeadon, West Yorkshire.
References
- ↑ Charity Commission. British Epilepsy Association, registered charity no. 234343.
- ↑ 'Olympics inquiry into logo-launch seizures', The Daily Telegraph, 13 June 2007
- ↑ 'London 2012 Olympics withdraw film after seizures', Epilepsy Action, 5 June 2007
- ↑ 'Epilepsy charity criticises Twitter for flashing ads', BBC News, 10 July 2015