Newcastle is among the nation’s first communities to benefit from DisabilityCare Australia, the national disability insurance scheme, kicking off with an epilepsy forum today.

Novocastrians living with disabilities and epilepsy, their families and disability organisations will have the opportunity to participate in the ‘Epilepsy Know Me, Support Me’ program to be canvassed at Noah’s on the Beach today. The program will feature two sessions designed to cultivate a stronger dialogue between patients, carers and organisations and highlight the availability of new, national epilepsy resources.

The first session, tailored to disability organisations, will feature useful information regarding the new DisabilityCare Practical Design Funded National Epilepsy Resources. The second session will educate people living with epilepsy and their carers about the new management resources.

The ‘Epilepsy Know me, Support Me’ program is set to strengthen Newcastle’s epilepsy community and heighten their understanding of the condition in order to best meet patient needs.

VIVA! Communications has been assisting the Epilepsy Foundation on a pro bono basis this week to encourage Novocastrians to attend this event via local media and community outreach.

The ‘Epilepsy Know me, Support Me’ program was designed by the Epilepsy Foundation in partnership with the Bendigo Community Health Service and Flinders University.

According to Mrs Kim Jones, organiser of the Epilepsy Support Group of Newcastle who cares for a son with epilepsy, the program will help “inform [the community] and break down the stigma still attached to the condition because of the visual aspect of it.”

More information and a stronger network of resources is a positive step forward for those living with, and affected by, the various types of epilepsy.