There was a time, long past, when people with epilepsy were shunned and burnt at the stake; so feared and misunderstood was this disorder. Thankfully, those days are long gone. Epilepsy is no longer enshrouded in stigma, and no one has to worry anymore about being discriminated against because they have this disorder. Or do they? Does epilepsy stigma still exist? How far have we come, really???

Join us for an engaging talk, with Mary Secco, Chair of Global Advocacy for the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE) and a recipient of the International Ambassador for Epilepsy Award (2023). She will delve into the evolution of epilepsy stigma, explore the global cultural differences and share examples of true, heartfelt stories of people who have faced discrimination due to epilepsy. She will also equip us with practical actions we can take to help combat stigma; in our schools, workplaces and throughout our communities.

Prepare to be uplifted, empowered, and actively involved in this interactive session where together we will try to answer the question "Is Epilepsy Stigma a Thing of the Past?".

A short member's meeting will be held in advance of the evening's keynote address, to conduct the business of the agency. The purpose of the AGM is to review our agency's achievements during the past year; approve the minutes of the 2023 AGM, the 2023 audited financial statement, the 2024 Board of Directors, the reappointment of Hillborn LLP Chartered Accountants as the auditors for the coming year and approve the proposed Bylaw revisions. The suggested changes to our Bylaws will bring the agency into compliance with the new Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act (ONCA). This is a mark-up of our existing Bylaw 3, incorporating four substantive revisions:

• to confirm that the appropriate Act is now the Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act.
• to change the number of directors to a maximum of 16.
• to remove the reference to directors' meetings being held outside of Ontario (the Act doesn't allow it, so removing it will eliminate conflict).
• to make the AGM quorum 21 rather than 35.

Keynote Speaker, Mary Secco is a community educator and advocate who began her epilepsy career in 2001 as the Executive Director of Epilepsy Southwestern Ontario. In 2014 she changed her role to focus on research to develop and evaluate programs to address the systemic gaps and barriers faced by people with epilepsy in accessing health information and supportive care.

Mary served as a patient advocate on the Ontario Ministry of Health’s Epilepsy Implementation Task Force which produced guidelines for the management of care for children and adults with epilepsy. Globally she has provided project coordination for a series of epilepsy toolkits related to
health diplomacy, advocacy, and stigma. She was elected IBE Secretary General (2017-2021) and has been actively involved in supporting the development and implementation of two WHO resolutions to improve epilepsy care (WHA68.20 and WHA73.10). Mary is a past co-chair of the ILAE Global Outreach Task Force and continues to serve as the Chair of Global Advocacy for the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE). She was a recipient of the International Ambassador for Epilepsy Award in 2023. 

Mary is currently a PhD student at Western University. Her research interests include the impact of stigma and understanding the health information and care preferences for people with epilepsy.

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