A younger lady with a terminal sickness has claimed she is being sued by her Airbnb company as a result of they had been “triggered” by her incapacity.
The lady, solely recognized by the username 1820Things or “thisworldcanbeaccessible” throughout her social channels, posted a collection of movies to YouTube and TikTok explaining her scenario. She additionally known as out the short-term homestays service for allegedly failing to supply her satisfactory assist or recommendation.
“I’m about to battle a authorized problem as a result of I hosted a visitor just lately utilizing a really massive on-line platform, who’s now demanding compensation for being pressured to be round a disabled particular person”, she says in a video posted 9 days in the past, with out initially figuring out Airbnb.
In a separate video, posted six days in the past, the lady alleges that the scenario started when the company arrived at her property in Eire and “they grew to become very hostile and aggressive, demanding to know who the disabled particular person in the home” was after noticing her doorbell.
She says the company knowledgeable her “they don’t press something disability-related” however that she attributed a few of their aggression to a attainable “language barrier”.
The lady, who has Huntington’s Illness, explains the alleged lawsuit in opposition to her: ”They’re stating that they need to have recognized beforehand, that Airbnb ought to have pressured me to reveal that I’m disabled — despite the fact that they’re solely round me actually for me at hand the keys to them.
“They’re arguing that completely all the things in my home is a incapacity support, together with glass cups, mugs… all the things. Something bought by a disabled particular person is a incapacity support, in line with their self-identified logic,” she continues.
As per Airbnb coverage, the lady says, issues of safety involving a disabled host or visitor don’t get handed onto their security group however to buyer providers, which don’t work in a single day.
“It meant that I, as a disabled host, was left with very, very verbally abusive and violent company in my residence,” she says.
She additionally claims she was pressured to spend the evening “locked” in her kitchen, as Airbnb allegedly informed her she could be placing herself at additional threat of legal responsibility if she ventured right into a shared residing house the place she may encounter the company.
At that time, she provides, she nonetheless believed Airbnb would assist relocate the company from her residence. As an alternative, they apparently demanded that she be faraway from the property and “Airbnb put it to me [whether] I’d consent to leaving my property in a fashion that may not be offensive to the company’ sensibilities”, she says.
In one among her movies, the lady highlights that she isn’t taking up Airbnb or the company for monetary acquire.
As an alternative, she continues, “I want you to actually sit and have a take into consideration if we need to dwell in a world the place somebody’s political ideology or emotions over incapacity are price extra authorized safety than the disabled particular person themselves”.
A number of public figures have drawn consideration to her scenario, together with radio presenter Emma Kennedy who tweeted: “So it is a thoughts blowing case. A lady with Huntington’s is being sued for £250,000 by company who got here to her Airbnb.
“They’re claiming her being disabled traumatised them. All she did was hand them the keys.”
The Impartial has reached out to Airbnb and the host for remark.
