Hello! My name is Ayesha Akhtar, and I’m honored to serve as the Vice President of Health Equity, Education, and Advocacy here at the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Chicago. Since joining the organization in 2011, I’ve been personally committed to ensuring that individuals and families affected by epilepsy—especially those from historically underserved communities—have equitable access to care, resources, and education.

This department manages all the public-facing epilepsy and seizure first aid education across our service area. We focus on addressing social determinants of health, seeking to eliminate disparities in epilepsy outcomes. We host roundtables and webinars to amplify diverse voices and partners. We attend health fairs and walk in parades to show solidarity with community. Our approach combines outreach, advocacy, education, and strategic partnerships with a strong emphasis on cultural humility and data.

Now, more than ever, with legislation changing, access to funding cut or reduced, we need to strengthen our community to center lived experiences, whether it’s through storytelling, co-creating solutions with community leaders, or developing programs that reflect the diverse needs of the people we serve.

Healthcare is a human right, and it is through this lens we take pride in the free education we provide, and ensuring people have access to the epileptologists they deserve. As we continue to grow, we need you and your stories to be our north star.

Today I am sharing 3 things you can do to advocate for yourself or your loved one from home! 1 – Share your story with the Epilepsy Foundation community to help inspire others and also make sure our elected officials understand the lived experiences. 2 – Reach out to your elected officials to make sure they don’t cut funding for vital programs for epilepsy research and programs. 3 – Reach out to your elected officials to let them know that the proposed funding cuts to transit can have huge consequences for people living with epilepsy. We rely on safe, public transit daily, and WITH funding, riders can get from A to B reliably, and more often.

In solidarity,
Ayesha