Disabled Airbnb host ‘sued by guests traumatized by her disability’

A disabled person told by the Airbnb rental service to refund guests who disliked its accessible doorbell says she has now been sued by the same visitors for allegedly leaving them ‘traumatized’ by her disability.

Jade, who is terminally ill with Huntington’s disease, shared her experience on TikTok and YouTube, and revealed earlier this year that people who had booked to stay in her Irish home for €50 a night had asked her to remove “all disability aids from my own home and otherwise I’m leaving”.

At the time, an Airbnb spokesperson said Indy100 “discrimination has no place” on their platform, that they were “concerned” about the incident and were actively investigating it.

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Now, in the latest development, the guests have filed a lawsuit against Jade because “they are traumatized at having been forced to be around someone with a disability”.

In an online petition that has over 7,700 signatures at the time of writingJade wrote: “I can only legally share my views on this situation, so I’m not asking you to support me personally – just to support the statement that people with disabilities shouldn’t be at risk of being sued. for their handicap which would have “traumatized” another person.

“As a disabled person, I cannot hide. I can’t change my handicap… and I can’t hide in case I “trigger” someone.

Share a video on YouTube on Sundaythe Airbnb host revealed a list of plaintiffs’ lifelong “therapeutic demands” as compensation – costing what Jade described as “life-changing sums of money”.

These include six weighted blankets, adult coloring books, essential oils, yoga classes, aromatherapy, emotional support animals, and a housekeeper working three times a week.

Jade added that she was “sorry that part of the Equality Act” – which prohibits discrimination against someone because of their disability – is “potentially eroded”.

She said: “It’s a cancel culture situation, because when you break it down, what these people want me to accept is that any person can say, ‘My feelings are that I don’t like your handicap, so you have to delete yourself’. Where to draw the line at that?

“If this becomes normal, and you’re a disabled person and someone says, ‘My feelings are hurt by your disability,’ they may turn around and say, ‘I need homeopathy for the rest of my life. life to defeat you.”

The story has since been shared on Twitter, with other people with disabilities describing the incident as “disgusting” and “mind blowing”:

Indy100 has approached Airbnb for comment.

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