r/ChemicalSensitivities

It’s getting worse, to the point where I see no option other than to move completely to the countryside because the city is getting more and more overcrowded and more and more people are wearing all these terrible fragrances, meanwhile my nose burns, I get dizzy and migraines wipe me out for days. I can’t take a journey without being delayed, having to get off trains and wait for others because of the strength of all the fragrances mixed together.
But unfortunately I can’t just leave tomorrow..
In the meantime- Does anyone know of any small masks that actually block perfume? I’ve tried a few and nothing has worked instead my big old half mask respirator but i can’t walk the streets (and underground) of London looking like I’m wearing a gas mask….

Liz.kreutz@nbcuni.com
Instagram: lizkreutznews
Nbcnewsmediarelations@nbcuni.com

There has been a recent uptick in main stream coverage of the dangers of fragrance in our environment. On the NBC Today show (Oct 9, 3d hour) they featured Scott Cole who is fighting the battle to eliminate fragrance from public spaces. The segment didn’t really convey the severity of the situation, it came across more as a preference for FF rather than an accessibility issue or ADA violation. The good news is that obviously there is room to educate. I think it would be extraordinarily helpful if everyone took a few minutes to message the journalist above who covered the story as well as the Today show. People who don’t know don’t understand even though they think they might. We need to share our stories in a compelling fashion to help them understand the impact and limitations you live with on a daily basis. Please take a few minutes of your time ASAP and share your suffering with them. Let’s ask them to do another story with more of a human interest take. The more voices they hear the more likely they will help.

I thought maybe December, but no, it’s now. Also local whole foods has taken to putting chemical fragrance soaps, bath bombs, etc. by each check stand.

Filed a complaint and wrote a letter to a hospital ER about care being made inaccessible due to care providers soaked in cologne. took inspiration from others here to try to get them to follow AMA (US) recommendations for no fragrances. and enforce their policy if they already have one.

Can anyone share their experience of requesting accommodations for fragrance sensitivities?

TLDR: I’m being moved to an open office, but have fragrance sensitivity and want to keep my current, private office to avoid issues. I’m being told I must move, regardless of the issues. Can the ADA office help?

I have always had issues with fragrances. I get severe migraines, eye irritation, and sometimes nausea due to artificial fragrances, perfumes, certain flowers, chemical/cleaning supplies, laundry detergents, etc. My reaction depends on the product, but almost always it leads to a migraine and I’m unable to focus. I started working at my job about a year ago and have my own office. The change has been great. I’ve had very little issue, except for the occasional passing scent in shared spaces but I’m always able to retreat to my office, open a window, dim lights, etc., to deal with the aftermath.

Recently, my role has slightly changed. Essentially, I have almost the same job duties, but will be working under a different supervisor with a new team. The department is the same and I will still be collaborating frequently with my old team. I didn’t expect the change to affect my work station, but I was recently told I would be moving buildings (neighboring buildings) to be with the new team. Unfortunately, this space is an open office with cubicles. I requested to keep my current office or be given an enclosed office in the new space to accommodate my fragrance issues, but was told I was expected to move and the new building doesn’t have a closed office available for me. I was assured that they would “limit my exposure” to fragrance and accommodate my needs. Realistically, that is impossible to police and it’s always been an issue in my other workplaces. There are also other professional reasons I shared with my supervisor about why I need my own space like work style, frequent need to meet/train others, etc., which requires a private space. But foremost, I’m concerned about the health aspect.

I’m really frustrated at this point because my entire office was remote until recently. While most of us are grouped by team, there are still people in collaborative roles that work remotely and people that go to different buildings to work with different parts of their team. Additionally, I’m not taking up an office. My current building has least one vacant office that is not in use and multiple open work stations. Considering the proximity of the two buildings in question and everything else, it just seems silly to have me move over and have to find alternative solutions/accommodations when the solution already exists.

I got a final email back today saying the decision was that I will need to move by next week. My original request was through my supervisor, but now I’m considering going through the ADA office, but I’ve never done this before so I’m not sure what drama could come of it. I’m also just wondering what the actual likelihood of keeping my office would be going through that channel.

I really want to avoid tension and build a good relationship with my new boss, but I’ve had trouble in the past voicing these issues to be a good team player and suffered because of it.

Anyone have a similar experience or advice?