Is a Nut Allergy a Disability?

In a ruling issued today, the Iowa Court of Appeals (“Court”) sent a case back to the District Court for determination on whether a tree nut allergy fits the description of a “disability” under the Iowa Civil Rights Act.  The Court examined the similarities between the Iowa and Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”).  The Court reasoned that the Iowa Act has always closely followed the Federal ADA, and since the Federal ADA has recently broadened its definitions of the term “disability,” the District Court should further examine whether a nut allergy fits within this expanded definition.