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Celiac.com 04/17/2019 - Hundreds sign petition calling for dining reform at Hofstra. The petition stems from the experience of junior marketing major Sarah Peres, who has celiac disease. Peres began the petition after receiving a salad with wheat croutons on it. First, she was mildly upset, but then she turned toward action with her petition. Peres says that she is tired of feeling hungry and frustrated whenever she is in the dining halls at Hofstra, and that she hopes to make a change in campus' food policy. “It is almost as if Hofstra would rather us starve than be able to eat a safely prepared gluten-free meal,” Peres said in her petition. Her petition, titled “More gluten-free, allergy-free, and dietary restriction food options at Hofstra University,” exposed serious flaws in the dining hall policies. Her efforts have been met with support from more than 500 concerned students, parents and community members. Lisa Ospitale, the District Marketing Director of Campus Dining by Compass Group, said that available options are based on sales, sales history, and requests from the overall community population. Basing food offerings on sales and demand is fine, but schools still have responsibilities under the ADA to offer options for students with food allergies and sensitivities. That means adequate training and policies to ensure student well-being. Speaking of the school’s current allergen-friendly dining area, Ospitale says that the school should “offer G8 in the Student Center, because it is an area that is separate from other areas creating a safe location for those with allergies to eat.” Peres feels that Hofstra still has a ways to go. “There’s a lot of work that needs to be done,” she says. They need to have a second kitchen…They need to educate their staff more. If they don’t have a separate kitchen, then they need to clean their utensils and have separate utensils for everything,” Peres added. Stay tuned for more on this and other stories about gluten-free and allergen-free food options at colleges and universities. What do you think? Do colleges and universities need to do more in general to accommodate students with food allergies? Share your thoughts below. Read more at The Hofstra Chronicle

Celiac.com 04/25/2019 - In the last few years, we’ve run a bunch of stories about colleges and universities making big changes to their dining services to accommodate gluten-free students. College Students Hungry for Gluten-Free Meals But, for all of the improvements in the last few years, getting a gluten-free meal at a college campus can still be a challenge. At too many colleges, students still struggle to find easy, reliable, nutritious gluten-free meals, even though research shows that students are hungry for gluten-free meals. Celiac Students Push for Gluten-Free Food In some cases, students with food allergies feel they are being treated like second-class citizens. A number of prominent legal challenges have resulted in agreements by some colleges to improve their food offerings for students with food allergies and gluten intolerance. A number of universities have been forced to settle claims brought under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), including Lesley University, and Rider University. UCLA is the latest college to come under fire. A recent complaint alleges that many of UCLA Dining Services’ dishes contain gluten, and even those that do not are usually made in kitchens with gluten contaminants, making cross contamination likely. UCLA Dining Services says that the school’s gluten-free pantries contain toasters, microwaves and certified gluten-free dishes. Onerous Rules for Gluten-Free Students Gluten-free students say the dining halls provide allergen information, and note which foods contain wheat, but they lack comprehensive gluten information. They also enforce arcane rules that make gluten-free students jump through hoops. For example, before students can access the gluten-free pantries in De Neve dining hall and Bruin Plate, they must contact the Center for Accessible Education and fill out an extensive form. The basic complaint goes like this: By offering unequal access to high-quality campus food, UCLA is discriminating against students with gluten intolerance and celiac disease. As it stands, these students pay the same fees for others do for a meal plan, but they get unequal options. Additional information about the ADA can be found at

Celiac.com 10/25/2016 - The 504 Plan stems from Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This section prevents discrimination against public school students in grades kindergarten through 12 because of disabilities. A 504 plan is meant to "remove barriers" to learning by providing a specific outline on how to make accommodations or modifications on a student-by-student basis. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 applies to all institutions receiving federal financial assistance, such as public schools. Under this law, public schools must provide a free, appropriate public education and not discriminate against disabled students. This law acknowledges that the disability may not require special education services, but a plan is needed to ensure the student receives an appropriate education accommodating the disability within the classroom. This law must accommodate a special diet, including the gluten-free diet for children with celiac disease. The decision to enroll in the 504 plan is entirely up to you as a parent or guardian. Some parents find that informal discussions and accommodations have been sufficient for having the child's needs met at school. However, having a formal 504 plan in place is valuable, especially as teachers and staffing may change. The 504 plan guarantees by law that your child's needs are met throughout their school career and not just in certain classrooms. You can choose to utilize your 504 plan accommodations any time, and having them in place before you need them can save important time and resources. It can be helpful if your child develops symptoms from gluten exposure, or if you are having trouble with consistent accountability. How to Start Your 504 Plan First you need to contact your child's school. The 504 plan team should include: Primary classroom teacher School counselor or psychologist School nurse Director of food services 504 plan coordinator You will also need a doctor's note to show that your child has been formally diagnosed with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity (gluten sensitivity). This note should outline the accommodations required to maintain your child's health, enabling him or her to have equal access to public education. Having a 504 plan in place will also make it much easier to apply for disability accommodation in college. What Information is Included in a 504 Plan? Generally you'll need to provide information about your child's diagnosis and needs including: Year of diagnosis Amount of time on a gluten-free diet Details on why a 504 plan is needed (including how a restricted diet affects a major life activity) Child's developmental level and needs (are they self-reliant in managing the diet? do they need strict supervision? Etc.) A 504 PLAN will specifically outline all of the details of how our child's celiac disease needs to be managed in the classroom. For example you and the 503 plan team can develop an action plan for: Navigating school lunches Snacks Birthday Parties Art Classes Field Trips Holiday Parties I wish that this 504 Plan was available when my son attended school! Do not forget to check your school's ruling on peanut butter. A lot of schools will not allow lunches to contain peanut butter because of severe peanut allergies, and we need to be respectful of other food allergies as we sort through the maze of gluten-free lunch packing. If you have a picky eater or a child who needs to gain weight after their diagnosis, nutritional shakes, power bars and calorie powders can pack a punch. Make sure they are labeled gluten-free. Consult with a registered dietitian to help with your child's meal plan. When you find a winning combo, send enough with your child to share. That will show your child's peers that gluten-free food is not "weird" and your child will have the opportunity to feel part of the group. Recently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) mandated that food service workers who manage and handle meals would need to complete education and training requirements in order to maintain their positions. The requirement to maintain professional standards education, which is required by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, went into effect on July 1, 2015. Completion of the GREAT Schools program helps school nutrition professionals meet this requirement. You can remind your child's school that completing the GREAT Schools training program does benefit both your child and the cafeteria staff in maintaining the necessary education to work in school food service Additional Resources: BeyondCeliac.org allergicliving.com Understood.org