Menu The Premier Source for Developmental Disability News LATEST NEWS JOBS EMAIL SIGN-UP Search Facebook Twitter 1 Crime Against People With Disabilities On The Rise 2 Firm Designs Buildings To Meet Needs Of Kids With Autism 3 Staff Crisis Had State Planning To Move Group Home Residents Into Facility With Cots Show Previous Stories Show Next Stories Airbnb Works To Improve Offerings For Those With Disabilities by Shaun Heasley | November 10, 2021 Airbnb is making it easier for people with disabilities to find rentals with the accessibility features they need. (Airbnb) Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Airbnb, which has faced accusations of discrimination against travelers with disabilities in the past, is stepping up its efforts to better accommodate guests with various needs. The short-term rental platform said this week that it is implementing new procedures for verifying accessibility features advertised on its site. As part of the accessibility review process, hosts must submit pictures of such features. Photos are then manually reviewed by a specialized team at Airbnb for accuracy. The company is also updating 13 search filters to make sure that people with disabilities can find rentals that meet their needs. For example, the filter for “wide entrance to bedroom” is now “bedroom entrance wider than 32 inches,” Airbnb said. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Other features that users can search for include step-free access to the rental itself, the bedroom, the bathroom or the shower as well as accessible parking and the availability of a ceiling or mobile hoist. The changes come as part of a broader update to Airbnb’s platform that include more than 50 upgrades ranging from greater protection for hosts to the ability to test a listing’s wifi speed. Airbnb said its agents have already reviewed and confirmed 100,000 accessibility features in 25,000 homes worldwide under the new procedures. Reyma McCoy McDeid, executive director of the National Council on Independent Living, said her group worked with Airbnb on the updates and that the changes should benefit travelers with disabilities. “We’re especially thrilled that guests with disabilities will be able to make reservations with confidence, thanks to Airbnb requiring hosts to provide photos of the accessibility features they advertise in their homes and now launching a process to review these photos for accuracy,” she said. In addition to updates to rental listings, Airbnb is also detailing more about accessibility features for its experiences, which give people an opportunity to explore new places or activities. Users can now apply 11 filters to experiences to find out if they have accessible parking and bathrooms, if sign language is available, if there are any extreme sensory stimuli, if a quiet retreat space is provided and more. Airbnb has worked to make improvements in recent years to better serve travelers with disabilities after a 2017 Rutgers University study found that hosts often turned away people with disabilities even in cases where they listed rentals as accessible. Find a Job Executive Director Executive Director Director of Finance and Administration Executive Director Career Counselor, Center for Disabilities Studies VIEW ALL JOBS POST A JOB More in Living Comments Read Next Politics & Law Crime Against People With Disabilities On The Rise People with disabilities are nearly four times more likely than others to be victims of violent crime, according to new federal data. November 30, 2021 Autism Firm Designs Buildings To Meet Needs Of Kids With Autism They design buildings specifically to provide a sense of calm for people on the autism spectrum, but say the simplified design has the same effect on anyone in schools, clinics and offices. November 30, 2021 Living Staff Crisis Had State Planning To Move Group Home Residents Into Facility With Cots A group home staffing crisis prompted a state plan to move dozens of residents with disabilities into a day center where cots were being set up in a gymnasium. November 30, 2021 VIEW MORE STORIES Sign up today for the Disability Scoop Newsletter © 2008-2021 Disability Scoop, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy Terms and Conditions Advertise × You're reading of free articles this month. Get unlimited Disability Scoop access starting at just $5