Peanut Allergies A Disability?
I heard this story on the news this morning about a girl with peanut allergies that are so severe, they are considered a disability. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires that her school make accommodations for her. The accommodations are in the form of requiring the kids in her first grade class to wash their hands and rinse their mouths out before entering the classroom. Her allergy is so severe that breathing peanuts can harm her. Parents are protesting that this is unreasonable because the accommodation is impacting their children.
I personally thought that banning peanut products in most schools was a bit much, but this seems extreme. As a parent, I think I would feel this was unreasonable to ask my child to do multiple times a day, every day. I can also understand the girl's parents wanting her to be safe. I wonder how she goes anywhere in public? Eating peanut butter sandwiches seems like such a normal kid thing, but all of these kids with allergies are putting a stop to that as the traditional kid school lunch.
I guess the question becomes, is it a reasonable accommodation if it requires everyone else to participate and possibly be inconvenienced?
I personally thought that banning peanut products in most schools was a bit much, but this seems extreme. As a parent, I think I would feel this was unreasonable to ask my child to do multiple times a day, every day. I can also understand the girl's parents wanting her to be safe. I wonder how she goes anywhere in public? Eating peanut butter sandwiches seems like such a normal kid thing, but all of these kids with allergies are putting a stop to that as the traditional kid school lunch.
I guess the question becomes, is it a reasonable accommodation if it requires everyone else to participate and possibly be inconvenienced?
Comments
I know for me and my experience having a child with dairy and peanut allergies, I tried everything in my power to stear clear of any possibilities of a single milligram of each in my diet. Since I was breastfeeding Wyatt the protien that caused the allergy could pass through breastmilk. Wyatt was so sensitive if I even had a small amount of anything related to the word dairy or peanut on the label Wyatt's little intestines would suffer severly for days (he would have bloody diapers and scream for hours). Nobody really understood the extremes I went through (had to go through) to make sure he was ok (this meant always packing/bringing my own food to events, gatherings I went to, never going out to eat, etc.). It was very difficult to trust others to fix food for me when they would say it was dairy and nut free and the next day Wyatt would have a reaction. Even my own mother would make something and tell me she used no dairy/nuts and then when questioned what the ingredients were I would always find atleast a couple with dairy in them. I had a very long list of things I couldn't have and most people were shocked of what I couldn't have. Thankfully he outgrew both allergies, but before I was very fearful of the future with his allergy. Everyone always asked how did I do it? I can't even tell you myself, but I know by the grace of God I knew that was what I had to do for my son. At first it was difficult, but then it becomes a new way of living.
I just wanted to give you a real life example of what it's like for a mother who has had a child with food allergies (: