Epilepsy Ontario :: National Conference to be held in September

National Conference to be held in September

Karrie Wall

At the end of September the Canadian Epilepsy Alliance (CEA) will be hosting a conference in London, Ontario. The Meeting of the Minds: Challenging Ourselves to Think Outside the Box will be a series of workshops starting Wednesday September 29th and ending Friday October 1st designed to benefit CEA board members, as well as executive directors and support staff of local chapters. The CEA, of which Epilepsy Ontario is a member, is a nationwide network of grassroots organizations seeking to improve the lives of people affected by epilepsy through support services, information, advocacy and public awareness.

The goals of the upcoming conference are:

Individual workshops will vary in length from 1 to 4 hour(s) and will relate each topic to both local and national levels of interest. One day of the conference will be devoted entirely to "best practices" or those epilepsy-related programs that have proven successful for other organizations and which may be used by partners in Ontario and Canada. These include an employment program designed to return individuals with epilepsy to work and a curriculum-linked grade 5 education program. Some other examples of workshops that will be offered during the conference include:

An interactive presentation by an experienced communications firm on how to relay the epilepsy message to the media, corporations, and legislators.
Instruction by Diane Cunningham, a former MPP and cabinet minister for the PC government, on successfully lobbying government.
Helpful hints and training for participants on effective fundraising, including grant-writing and hosting special events.

Aside from the workshops a number of other events are being scheduled in conjunction with the conference:

On Wednesday evening Frank Leahy the CEA spokesperson since 2001, will perform at a benefit concert. Mr. Leahy is recognized as one of Canada's foremost fiddle players.
A public forum will be held on Thursday evening organized in partnership with the Canadian League Against Epilepsy (CLAE), a physician's group. Two adult and two pediatric neurologists will discuss topics of interest to patients, family members, caregivers and others. This will also include a Question &Answer session.
A tour of University Hospital's epilepsy unit, including demonstrations and interaction with affiliated medical professionals. This unit is the largest of its kind in Canada and is a global leader in epilepsy treatment. State-of-the-art equipment is used to monitor patients 24 hours a day to investigate their epileptic seizures.
An opportunity to contribute ideas for the 4th CEA public service announcement to continue to create a national communication plan.

This conference aims to provide chapter members with the opportunity to interact in an environment that promotes teaching, sharing and professional development. By consolidating efforts and sharing resources, participants will gain the support and acquire the skills necessary to improve their services. Though participants will be responsible for their own transportation and accommodation, there is no fee to attend. Organizers are hoping for a strong showing of Ontario chapter members. The Epilepsy Support Centre (ESC) in London, Ontario is committed to finding funding for any group that is unable to attend solely for financial reasons. Any questions about the conference can be directed to the ESC's executive director, Mary Secco. Mary can be reached by telephone (519-433-4073) or e-mail (executivedirector@epilepsysupportcentre.com).

Karrie Danielle Wall was born and raised in Cambridge, Ontario. In 2002, she received her Honours Bachelor of Medical Science degree in Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Western Ontario.