Hmm-- underlying issue, though, is that they have to WANT to do better, and most people think that food allergies are exaggerated or made up. If they didn't, then polite conversations and chef cards WOULD work.
So to get a system to work on the people who NEED to change, the ignorant (waitstaff, etc.) have to understand that there IS a problem.
The bottom line is that they don't-- so why would they seek a solution to a problem that IS NOT a problem... for themselves, I mean?
I'm all for better education among food-service workers. Really I am. Educational posters are a good idea, but they probably aren't enough because there is no way to cover even "most" situations with a single poster (the way that handwashing, for example, can be treated).
IMO, the problems that our young investigator is trying to solve are:
a. ignorance on the part of food service personnel (Note, though, that they are also ignorant of the fact that they ARE ignorant)
b. hostility, skepticism or irritation on the part of-- well, pretty much the general public.
I don't see how item a shifts much without shifting b as well. Servers and waitstaff are NOT going to be more sensitive until they believe that food allergies are real, and that we deserve as much dignity as if we rolled into the establishment in a wheelchair or with a service dog. Currently they don't; we're (as a group) the punchline to jokes, and while that makes me
super angry, there's not much that I can do about it short of having the conversation, handing over a chef card, and trusting my gut. Servers see
way too many people with "food allergies" who get served (or deliberately order/eat) their ""allergens"" for them to believe a claim of food allergies without extraordinary evidence. Unfortunately that is a larger problem that we don't have much power to influence.
Most of us would trade a bit of social discomfort for
basic safety when dining out. Honestly? NO WAY do I want an ignorant server to have training that allows him/her to
fool me better about whether or not they "get" what I'm telling them. Insufferably insensitive or rude behavior in a server is often my best indicator that they CANNOT serve me safely. It may be the only one.
Not all of them are smart enough to manage it, frankly. Not even all of the ones that think that they can are actually that capable. I wish they'd understand THAT and communicate it more clearly. I don't mind being told that I
can't eat somewhere safely-- it's an annoyance or inconvenience, but NOTHING like the inconvenience of being lied to and having a reaction when their best just isn't good enough.
Maybe a better idea is to have a handy handbook to translate waiter-ese into food allergic consumer tips?
Don't trust the server who interrupts your explanation about a shellfish allergy to refer you to the "gluten free selections on our menu" <-- there's my tip of the day.