Hannah Smith
With inspiring stories, author, Hannah Smith empowers children to embrace their unique identities and teaches the importance of inclusion and compassion. The daughter of teachers, Hannah was born and raised in Cumberland, Maryland, a small rural Appalachian town amidst the picturesque mountains. At 16 Hanna life took a turn when she was diagnosed with celiac disease after fighting an illness. This diagnosis shed light on her health struggles and provided her with clarity, enabling her to understand and manage her condition by adopting a gluten-free diet. Hannah developed advocacy skills in America’s higher educational system. After graduating with honors, Magna Cum Laude from Allegany College of Maryland, Hannah was accepted to the University of Maryland, College Park. Despite repeated requests for reasonable accommodations for safe food in the dining plan that she was mandated to have as a non-campus student, the university failed to do so. As a result, Hannah was repeatedly ill and, in an ambulance, to Washington Adventist Hospital. Inspired by people like Judy Heumann, Hannah wanted to fight for systemic change for the students who would follow. To force the university to provide reasonable accommodations she filed a landmark complaint in US District Court. Now, colleges and universities in the nation have been informed of the legal requirements and processes necessary to provide accommodations under the ADA for students with celiac disease and all food allergies.
