WEBINAR: Food Allergy @ Work: Tales, Tips, and Legal Tidbits
Learn about the legal considerations and personal realities of managing food allergy in the workplace.
Monday, March 24, 1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m. ET
Join us at 1 p.m. ET on Monday, March 24, to explore the laws and regulations that safeguard individuals with food allergy in professional settings. Mary Vargas, an attorney who specializes in disability law, will provide an overview of key legislation, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), that offers protection and ensures accommodations for employees with food allergy.
In addition to the legal perspective, the webinar will feature the personal side of food allergy in the workplace. We will hear from Kendra Chapman Davis and Jack Griffith, two members of FARE’s Rising Leaders Committee, who will share their own stories of navigating food allergy in the workplace. They will share practical strategies, challenges they’ve faced, and actionable tips for creating a safer and more inclusive work environment.
Whether you're an employee managing food allergy or an employer looking to foster an allergy friendly workplace, this session will provide valuable insights and tools for awareness, accommodation, and advocacy.
About the Speakers
Kendra Chapman Davis
Kendra Chapman Davis is a television writer and producer who has worked on hit shows like Power Book IV: Force for STARZ, Emergence for ABC, and Designated Survivor for Netflix, as well as a fierce food allergy advocate. For years Kendra wrote the popular food allergy blog, “Nope, Can’t Eat That Either,” which focused on her life as an African-American millennial living with food allergies. Her posts reached readers in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, and beyond. Kendra has been featured in a CNN Health article on how to navigate the holidays with food allergies. Additionally, she has penned two articles for SELF.com, including “I Have Severe Food Allergies, and These Are the 3 Comments I’m So Sick of Hearing.” Kendra proudly works with FARE, serving on their Rising Leaders Committee to raise funds and increase awareness about food allergies.
Jack Griffith
Jack Griffith is an account manager at a tech company in New York City. Jack has been supporting the allergy community on the Rising Leaders Committee for over 5 years. Jack has lifelong life-threatening food allergy to peanuts & tree nuts. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking allergy friendly meals.
Mary Vargas
Mary Vargas engages in nationwide impact litigation on behalf of individuals with disabilities. Vargas has won key victories in federal courts throughout the United States on behalf of individuals with food allergies, celiac disease, and other disabilities. Vargas served on the expert panel that developed national guidelines for the management of celiac disease in learning environments. She was awarded the 2017 FARE Vision Award for food allergy activism, the 2016 Eagle Award for groundbreaking disability rights litigation related to representation of a deaf medical student, and the 2010 Advocacy for Persons with Pain Award. Vargas is a 1998 Skadden Fellow and a 1994 Truman Scholar. She is also the mother of three children, two with Celiac disease and one with food allergies.