Epilepsy Action
Encyclopedia
Epilepsy Action is a UK
based charity
providing information, advice and support for people with epilepsy
.
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 received international media coverage in 2007 when it claimed that 30 people with photosensitive epilepsy
had 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. 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.
Its headquarters are in Yeadon
, West Yorkshire
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
based charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
providing information, advice and support for people with epilepsy
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or hypersynchronous neuronal activity in the brain.About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and nearly two out of every three new cases...
.
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
Email
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
helplines and a wide range of information booklets. It has around 100 local support groups across England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
and a network of volunteers working in the community.
It also organises conferences
Meeting
In a meeting, two or more people come together to discuss one or more topics, often in a formal setting.- Definitions :An act or process of coming together as an assembly for a common purpose....
for people with epilepsy and health professionals with an interest in the condition. It also has a website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
that includes information about epilepsy and runs an online community
Online community
An online community is a virtual community that exists online and whose members enable its existence through taking part in membership ritual. An online community can take the form of an information system where anyone can post content, such as a Bulletin board system or one where only a restricted...
for people with the condition and their carers.
It undertakes and encourages non-laboratory
Laboratory
A laboratory is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. The title of laboratory is also used for certain other facilities where the processes or equipment used are similar to those in scientific laboratories...
research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
into epilepsy and the issues surrounding living with the condition.
The charity received international media coverage in 2007 when it claimed that 30 people with photosensitive epilepsy
Photosensitive epilepsy
Photosensitive epilepsy is a form of epilepsy in which seizures are triggered by visual stimuli that form patterns in time or space, such as flashing lights, bold, regular patterns, or regular moving patterns.-Symptoms:...
had had seizures as a result of a segment of animated footage commissioned by the organising committee of the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
2012 Summer Olympics
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
to promote its logo. In 2011, Epilepsy Action highlighted issues with the video for the Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
song 'All of the Lights
All of the Lights
"All of the Lights" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Kanye West, released January 18, 2011, as the fourth single from his fifth studio album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy...
'. Tests of the video showed that it failed the flashing images guidelines set down by UK broadcasting watchdog Ofcom
Ofcom
Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
and so was likely to trigger a seizures in someone with photosensitive epilepsy
Photosensitive epilepsy
Photosensitive epilepsy is a form of epilepsy in which seizures are triggered by visual stimuli that form patterns in time or space, such as flashing lights, bold, regular patterns, or regular moving patterns.-Symptoms:...
. A warning was placed on Youtube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
for people watching the video on its website.
Its headquarters are in Yeadon
Yeadon, West Yorkshire
Yeadon is a town within the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, in West Yorkshire, England. It is home to Leeds Bradford International Airport.-History:...
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
.