EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION (EDI) AND HEALTH EQUITY STATEMENT
CLAE embraces diversity, defined as differences in race, colour, place of origin, religion, immigrant and newcomer status, ethnic origin, ability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and age. We make concerted efforts to ensure the inclusion of diverse and underrepresented populations, hoping that individuals working within our society feel valued, respected and equally supported.
CLAE also fully endorses the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) and International Bureau of Epilepsy (IBE)’s joint statement on systemic racism.
Racism robs people of their aspirations and, far too often, also of their lives. It robs communities of opportunities and growth. And racism robs everyone of talent, innovation and of dignity. For people living with epilepsy, racism adds yet another layer of discrimination to lives that are already made challenging by prejudice and stigma. People living with epilepsy have to navigate, on a daily basis, a myriad of harmful and hurtful myths about their condition and tackle unjust barriers to healthcare, employment and inclusion. Racism compounds this.
The CLAE will work closely with the ILAE and the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE) to create a world where no life is limited by epilepsy. All organizations are committed to reducing the unacceptably high gap in access to effective care and treatment for epilepsy that, too often, disproportionately impacts minority groups. Institutional barriers, including racism within the health sector, form part of this challenge. We are determined to tackle these issues in an open and inclusive manner as well as continue to promote the benefits to us all of diversity in all aspects of our lives, recognizing of course that including members with a diversity of backgrounds and experience enriches our work and directly improves treatment and outcomes for the diverse population our members serve.
We embrace our responsibility as a medical, social and scientific alliance to address the full range of issues that impact patient outcomes and will work as hard as we can to respond to gaps, challenges and barriers that arise along the way.
