Post by High Priestess on Oct 1, 2017 4:36:12 GMT
"Airbnb must stop discriminating against disabled people" says the author of this editorial.
48hills.org/2017/09/30/opinion-airbnb-must-stop-discriminating-against-disabled-people/
What do you think? Is this true? Is Airbnb "discriminating" against disabled people -- and if so what's the solution, in your view?
Here's my take: it's not Airbnb that does any discriminating, because Airbnb doesn't accept or decline guests, only the hosts do. The 2 authors of this article are depicted in this photo that goes along with the article. One of them, Becky Ogle, is in a wheelchair, and the other, Bob Planthold, walks with crutches.
Clearly Becky is not going to be able to be a guest in a home that is not wheelchair accessible -- is she demanding to be accepted at a home that can't possibly welcome her, due to its physical structure? Not every home is wheelchair accessible, and private homes aren't required to be, regardless of whether the owner rents a room to guests.
Bob doesn't need a wheelchair, and he might argue that he can make it up a steep flight of stairs. But since hosts have to buy their own home insurance (Airbnb doesn't cover us), it should be the host, not Bob, who decides what kind of risk they want to take with their liability. And some hosts, seeing how Bob walks, might not want to take that risk, especially if they have stairs, and/or steep stairs. . Other hosts, generous and compassionate, eager to help out someone who is in need of some welcoming, I think would be happy to welcome Bob.
That said, I have actually seen a good number of listings which are stated as being wheelchair accessible. Have Becky and Bob seen those?
Moreover, have they seen accomable.com/ which is specifically to help the disabled find accomodations -- a niche market which Airbnb is not?
If a guest politely asks to stay at my house, I'll consider their request. But the minute a guest DEMANDS to stay at my house, or argues that they are entitled to do so, I'll hit that decline button so fast....and say adios & goodbye!
48hills.org/2017/09/30/opinion-airbnb-must-stop-discriminating-against-disabled-people/
What do you think? Is this true? Is Airbnb "discriminating" against disabled people -- and if so what's the solution, in your view?
Here's my take: it's not Airbnb that does any discriminating, because Airbnb doesn't accept or decline guests, only the hosts do. The 2 authors of this article are depicted in this photo that goes along with the article. One of them, Becky Ogle, is in a wheelchair, and the other, Bob Planthold, walks with crutches.
Clearly Becky is not going to be able to be a guest in a home that is not wheelchair accessible -- is she demanding to be accepted at a home that can't possibly welcome her, due to its physical structure? Not every home is wheelchair accessible, and private homes aren't required to be, regardless of whether the owner rents a room to guests.
Bob doesn't need a wheelchair, and he might argue that he can make it up a steep flight of stairs. But since hosts have to buy their own home insurance (Airbnb doesn't cover us), it should be the host, not Bob, who decides what kind of risk they want to take with their liability. And some hosts, seeing how Bob walks, might not want to take that risk, especially if they have stairs, and/or steep stairs. . Other hosts, generous and compassionate, eager to help out someone who is in need of some welcoming, I think would be happy to welcome Bob.
That said, I have actually seen a good number of listings which are stated as being wheelchair accessible. Have Becky and Bob seen those?
Moreover, have they seen accomable.com/ which is specifically to help the disabled find accomodations -- a niche market which Airbnb is not?
If a guest politely asks to stay at my house, I'll consider their request. But the minute a guest DEMANDS to stay at my house, or argues that they are entitled to do so, I'll hit that decline button so fast....and say adios & goodbye!