School falls short for students with ‘invisible’ disabilities
The Philadelphia-adjacent Bryn Mawr College is the target of a lawsuit by a half dozen current and former students, who allege “multiple violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act” by the school.
The suit claims the school “particularly” comes up short regarding students with “invisible” disabilities, which The Philadelphia Inquirer describes as “conditions and diseases that can’t be seen externally.”
The plaintiffs allege Bryn Mawr did not provide “adequate” gluten-free meal selections, virtual access to classes, and extra time on tests for students who needed it.
Students with “ADHD, autism, mental-health challenges, and mobility issues” also allege the school “refused” to accommodate their specific needs.
Plaintiffs’ attorney Eden Quainton said Bryn Mawr is “understaffed and operates without oversight” even though it has a $1.1 billion endowment and took in $50 million in “investment income” in 2024.
The suit notes Bryn Mawr’s chief investment officer makes over $1 million per year, which is “four times the budget of the entire Access Services Department.”
Bryn Mawr Chief Communications Officer Samara Sit said regarding of suit that the school “is committed to the full participation of all people in all aspects of campus life. We support eligible students, faculty, staff, and visitors with disabilities through a wide range of accommodations.”
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One student involved in the lawsuit who has gluten sensitivity said she had “problems obtaining food she could safely eat” beginning on day one — when she wasn’t allowed into a “gluten-free [dining] room”:
It took the college more than three weeks to grant her access, only for the student to learn that there was no hot food offered there at all.
[The student] ate food that was labeled gluten-free from the main food area, frequently vomiting after meals because of cross contamination. She became sick and failed two classes in her first semester, eventually taking medical leave.
When she returned to the college in spring 2023, the gluten-free room only had hot food on weekday evenings, limited to plain grilled chicken with rice and a vegetable. …
In addition, other gluten-free offerings were “not only unhealthy, but downright harmful to students’ health,” the suit says. The complaint includes an image of gluten-free waffles covered in mold.
The student ended up leaving Bryn Mawr after spending over $1,000 for meals — even though she’d paid for a meal plan.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, even private institutions like Bryn Mawr must provide “reasonable” accommodations for students who need them. If an institution accepts federal funds, it also must abide by Section 504 of the act which “prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in programs or activities.”
Included under Section 504 are “invisible” afflictions such as “specific learning disabilities” and “allergies.”
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IMAGE CAPTION & CREDIT: Copy of a lawsuit sits on a judge’s desk; Ulf Wittrock/Shutterstock.com
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