I’ve been listed on Accomable, an Air-type platform for handicapped-accessible properties, and recently got emails that the platform was “down for maintenance” and then that they are joining Airbnb. Interesting to wonder how Air is supporting all this expansion – experiences, restaurants, now this. Read they’re planning to get into air travel booking also. Are they madly hiring? Throwing buckets of money at their targets? Gobble gobble gobble. Look out Expedia, Travelocity, Kayak . . . I think Air is aiming to be the Amazon of travel.
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I think Air is aiming to change their business model and be less reliant on the home-sharing. As its legality is challenged in more and more cities worldwide, I see them pushing into more traditional travel markets.
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By the way, I never heard of Accomable. Horrible name.
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Yeah weird name but cool back story – started by a guy in a wheelchair who loves to travel, particularly to adventurous places.
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That’s great that you are able to offer accessable accommodation and are trying to reach these markets. It would also be appreciated if you didn’t use the word ‘handicapped’, it’s no longer an acceptable term and causes offense.
Absolutely but you need to tell me the right terminolgy that is preferred by the community! I think “wheelchair accessible” is good because it does not refer to the person, just that it accommodates that assistive equipment, and that is what my listing references. The Accomable site uses the term "disabled."Let me know.
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WE need to tell you the right terminology??? Since you are already registered with Accomable, you should already KNOW – and should be using – the correct 21st century terminology!!!
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I’m truly not trying to be offensive here – could someone with better and more up to date knowledge please tell me the preferred terminology? Happy to receive constructive criticism, but help me make the correction.
https://airhostsforum.com/u/dpfromva
I would not worry too much about it, whatever is today’s preferred term will soon be out of date.
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I think it’s great that you’re so open to the feedback and learning, like many others I have only learned from the shared experiences of people themselves and a myriad of training course but there is a plethora of resources on the internet if you want to research being accessible and respectful of people with a lived experience of a disability. The reasons behind the changes in our phraseology and nomenclature are well evidenced and articulated by people more intelligent than me.
Don’t be put off by people telling you it’s PC or will change tomorrow. The redundancy of terms like ‘handicapoed’ and ‘retarded’ have developed for a reason, as has seeing people and not their disability and won’t change any time soon.
The education though is up to you.
Its news to me that “Handicapped” is now an offensive term. Still used quite regularly here in the UK.
That is very surprising to me! (And others in your neck of the woods, including the government)
This is a good start for you:
http://www.pwd.org.au/student-section/terminology-used-by-pwda.html
Of course there is lots of academic article too with all the discourse
so…about that takeover by Airbnb…
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Sometimes I think the motto for this forum should be “We specialize in off-topic!” So, I’m going to go with “disabled” for general discourse, although there seems to be limited consensus. “Handicap parking” and “handicap accessible” are still common terms in my neck of the woods, and may still have a function on internet as search terms, not that anyone should confuse the internet with an arbiter of good taste! Anyway, guests have been happy so far, and they are ultimately the ones I want to please.
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@dpfromva - “Handicap parking” and “handicap accessible” are still common terms in my neck of the woods…"
Same here (common printed terms).
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SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN THE POINT OF THIS CONVERSATION - Airbnb have bought a disable sharing community site? so what ? Airbnb changing their direction = interesting observation - where are they changing thier direction to?- that is of interest
Nobody is forcing you to participate in the conversation you don’t see the point in. No need for all CAPS
Btw: I love the title of this thread “Airbnb just hoovered up…”. The only reason I know what that means is because I watch BBC America. It sounds much better than gobbled up, sucked up, merged, etc.
Just visualised the Airbnb symbol with 2 little arms shoving a wheelchair in the hole…
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