The practice of using the tag “epilepsy warning” on flashing images can help cause people to have seizures instead of preventing them. The problem is that any tag with the word epilepsy will show up in any search done for epilepsy, which will bring people straight to the image that will trigger seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy. Any seizure can be dangerous or even deadly so this practice is doing exactly the opposite of what people, apparently think it is.

When uploading an image onto your site and typing the word epilepsy for a tag, the option of Epilepsy Warning appears on the list so it is possible that people think they are preventing seizures by using it. The use of this tag needs to stop to ensure the safety of your members and others just using search engines to search for epilepsy images.

Epilepsy is the fourth most common neurological disorder, behind migraines, stroke and Alzheimer’s disease; it affects more people than Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, and Parkinson’s disease combined!

1 in 10 people will have a seizure in their lifetime, 1 in 26 will develop epilepsy, and over 50,000 people die from epilepsy related causes each year in the United States alone.

Thank you,

Chris Arceneaux
Coalition for the Rights of Disabled People