Need College Kitchen

[patz16]

I'm trying to find out how I could get a college to consider me for university apartment housing instead of a regular dorm. I would need a kitchen because I really doubt that they will have a good gluten free meal plan. Is gluten intolerance ( believe I have celiac disease but doctor is a total idiot) covered with disabilities? I'm interested in a public university in Florida

[mushroom]

If you do a quick google of "college, celiac, ADA" you will get a good start on this topic. It has been discussed often on here.

[patz16]

Thanks so much for the heads up. Never even heard of the ADA before now. Found out a lot. I'm going to start to apply for housing with a few months, and I guess i will have to make a lot of calls.

[shadowicewolf]

Unfortienently, without an official dx of either an intolerence or celiac, they cannot do much for you. If you were officially dx'd, then by law (ADA) they would have to accomodate. This is done with a letter written by the doctor to give the school stating what you needed.

[Skysmom03]

This is exactly why anyone who believes they or their children have this disease should get an endoscopy ( the only true way to determine whether or not you have full blown disease)! With a DX, you qualify for a section 504. Anything you need with regard to education and maintaining your health has to be served!

[mushroom]

This is exactly why anyone who believes they or their children have this disease should get an endoscopy ( the only true way to determine whether or not you have full blown disease)! With a DX, you qualify for a section 504. Anything you need with regard to education and maintaining your health has to be served!

This is why we always warn people to do their best to get a diagnosis, if they are going to be involved with the school system, the military, or any other situation where an official diagnosis is essential.

[patz16]

Good thing I checked back. I went gluten free in April when my aunt suggested it (my cousin is gluten intolerant) as I was really sick and losing weight (lost 40 was 15 and female) During the summer, I made a trip to a different island to see a pediatric gastroenterologist. He did about maybe 12 CT scans and then a colonoscopy.

I did not receive any contact again until last week. He said that I had "bumps on the inside of my small intestine which suggest that I must be allergic to something I am eating” I asked him if this would suggest celiac disease. He said no but he suggests that I discontinue eating soy.

I continued eating soy. I am still getting better since I stopped having gluten in April. I can't eat anything that may have been cross contaminated and if I do I have constant pain for about 5-7 days in my stomach. *cringes just remembering*

The doctors here are total idiots and I really have given up even going.

[rebeccanicole88]

I am in an internship program now that accommodates for my Celiac the best that they can. I get out in May and would like to go to a university. I do not know how they would accommodate for me. If they would need a doctors note or something from the doctor. The doctor that did my colonoscopy and endoscopy said that she saw nothing but I was off of gluten when she did the test. I have been told I have Celiac by a doctor, a gluten intolerance by another doctor, and one of the doctors I had told me, "If it makes you sick, don't eat it." I'm going to be doing some research now.

[dilettantesteph]

My daughter is at McGill university. They agreed to give her an individual apartment in a dorm setting with her own kitchen with a doctor's note. She decided to stay off campus anyway. She found an apartment which was a better deal than the dorms, but she regrets it now as she had a lonely first semester. She has made more friends now and should be O.K. for her second semester.

You don't necessarily need a tested diagnosis for celiac disease, at least at this university. You just need a doctor who is willing to say that you need your own kitchen due to gluten intolerance sensitive to cross contamination.

[keeponsingin]

One of my best friends was diagnosed with Celiac during our freshman year of college. At my school, you can't live off campus unless you live at home with your parents, and you can't live in an apartment until your junior year. My friend made it work by having a refrigerator (mini one) in her room along with a microwave. And the dining hall was extremely accommodating! She talked to the chef(s) who would, at her request, get her gluten free food items including but not limited to breads for sandwiches, wraps and even meats that had not been cross-contaminated.

[seezee]

FYI there was a recent dept. of justice decision around this issue. The summary is here:

 

Open Original Shared Link

 

The result is that celiac and other chronic illnesses are covered by ADA and your school needs to make accomodations.

 

The Justice Department today announced an agreement with Lesley University in Cambridge, Mass., to ensure that students with celiac disease and other food allergies can fully and equally enjoy the university’s meal plan and food services in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

           

Food allergies may constitute a disability under the ADA.   Individuals with food allergies may have an autoimmune response to certain foods, the symptoms of which may include difficulty swallowing and breathing, asthma and anaphylaxis.   For example, celiac disease, which is triggered by consumption of the protein gluten (found in foods such as wheat, barley and rye), can cause permanent damage to the surface of the small intestines and an inability to absorb certain nutrients, leading to vitamin deficiencies that deny vital nourishment to the brain, nervous system, bones, liver and other organs.   Celiac disease affects about 1 in 133 Americans.

 

“By implementing this agreement, Lesley University will ensure students with celiac disease and other food allergies can obtain safe and nutritional food options,” said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division.   “The agreement ensures that Lesley’s meal program is attentive to the schedules and demands of college students with food allergies, an issue colleges and universities across the country need to consider.”

[eurasiangirl]

I'm a rising senior at a private east coast liberal arts college and have lived off campus since my sophomore year. It was HARD to get res life to comply with my request to live off campus in an apartment of my choosing because they guarantee housing all 4 years, can technically accommodate food intolerances/allergies....however cross contamination was RAMPANT in the dining hall and I got pretty malnourished living on campus even just for a semester. Anyways, I knew living in my own apartment was the best way to go and after getting my GI doc's note as well as my nutritionist's note - they still didn't want to let me off campus until I got my dad to call and talk some sense into the head of res life. I also wrote a formal letter in addition to the myriad of notes and submitted it all in a folder. I finally got the green light and its been the BEST decision ever. Being able to have a full size kitchen and all the amenities (full size fridge, freezer, etc) is great for someone who needs control over their food/diet and while I commend my college for trying to accommodate me, I personally was more comfortable taking matters into my own hands. I think it's up to each student to figure out the best setup for them but if you're willing to put in the time and effort that comes with maintaining ones own place it's a great idea. (Not to mention its loads cheaper!!)

[dilettantesteph]

(Not to mention its loads cheaper!!)

 

I wonder if that was why they gave you such a hard time about letting you.  My daughter found an apartment a lot cheaper than the dorms too.  

[tarnalberry]

While I wasn't gluten free in college, I did have an electric skillet, a small fridge, and a microwave.  I could have cooked almost everything in this micro kitchen.  (I used the electric skillet outside my dorm room, not inside.)