Other users have reported similar bias, and a new Rutgers University study — based on more than 3,800 Airbnb lodging requests sent by the researchers — suggests it may be common: Travelers with disabilities are more likely to be rejected
and less likely to receive preapproval, or temporary clearance, for a potential stay, the authors found.
To improve access to homes by the disabled, the researchers suggest
that Airbnb make sure hosts understand and follow federal disability guidelines, and engage with advocacy organizations and travelers with disabilities to understand their needs and frustrations
Travelers with disabilities are more likely to have lodging requests rejected
and less likely to have them pre-approved than those without, according to a Rutgers University study.
“People with disabilities deviate from the image of a typical customer, so the way they are discriminated against is hard to pin down but very real.”
Some hosts in the study, like the ones who denied Ms. Garcia, rejected inquiries from Mr. Ameri and his colleagues with little explanation.
