I'm always a little disheartened when I read statements like this, though:

Quote
"Most students know what they can and cannot eat," Rutherford said.

Because it invariably MISSES THE POINTS, and those points are what makes a LTFA "disabling."

• Oh, sure, and what does the student do when they "cannot eat" anything offered?


• you've just admitted that environmental exposure to food allergens is a problem for "some" of those allergy sufferers... so clearly this is a bit bigger than "can't you just not eat your allergen, then."  And yet you've conveniently overlooked that little detail... so what happens to a student with that kind of sensitivity once they LEAVE the dining hall, hmm?  Do OTHER students on campus leave the dining hall with the student's allergens?  Yes?  Do they go to class with them?  Yes?  Well, doesn't that seem like it might just pose a "barrier" for allergic students??  <crickets>

I'm not denying that those with a high threshold may well feel as though their allergy does not constitute a "disability."  Frankly, I feel that way about my shellfish allergy.  It's hardly worth mentioning outside of a few settings.  Someone like my DD, though?  She's just as real as the young woman interviewed, and you'd better believe that she finds her allergies impacting areas of her life that should, theoretically, have NOTHING to do with "eating."