Airbnb’s Suzanne Edwards Talks Inclusion And Newly Launched Accessibility-Centric Online Experiences
by Steven Aquino
On Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Airbnb announced in a press release the creation of several new accessibility-centric online experiences designed for people with disabilities. The company said it partnered with disability organizations such as the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, the Royal Association for Deaf People, and The Arc to build these experiences. Experiences include a session on public speaking by former college football player Eric LeGrand, as well as an animal-drawing course from Sophie Morgan.
Everyone can book these experiences, Airbnb said.
“Designed by hosts to meet a variety of accessibility needs, these new Online Experiences are available for everyone to book and are also ideal for friends and family to book and reconnect with loved ones over a shared activity,” the company wrote. Whether it’s a unique celebration or casual get together, guests can also opt for private bookings, all from the comfort and safety of home.”
Suzanne Edwards, Accessibility Lead for Experiences at Airbnb, joined the company in 2017 as part of their acquisition of accessible travel startup Accommable. She told me in an interview the company has an ethos of belonging and inclusiveness, and that is reflected in these new experiences. The Online Experiences were added last month, with the goal of providing users opportunities to “travel from home,” Edwards said. This is especially important amidst the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. To extend these to the disability community was a natural progression for Airbnb, again reinforcing their institutional pursuit of empathy and inclusivity.
“As a full time wheelchair user, I feel incredibly proud to lead on accessibility at Airbnb Experiences. I know how hard it can be to find fun activities that meet my requirements, so being able to book something like an adapted dance class on the fly is really valuable,” Edwards said. “It’s also a great, unique way to connect and catch up with friends and family. I tried a workout class with my sister where she stands and I sit and we both take part together and it was a real highlight, especially while I’m staying at home.”
Edwards noted accessibility is a “core” value to the company as a whole, saying they recently joined The Valuable 500 in an effort to reaffirm their commitment to disability inclusion. The Valuable 500 is an organization whose mission it is to, according to its website, put “disability on the business leadership agenda.”
While proud of the experiences they have, Edwards said the company is cognizant of the fact there’s always more work to be done. “Our philosophy is that we know there’s always more we can do. We are working closely with disability organizations and our community to continue to improve accessibility across the Experiences platform,” she said. Thus far, Edwards said the reaction to these new experiences have been positive.
“It’s very early days yet, but the response and support from our community has been very positive so far,” she said.
Airbnb’s disability-focused online experiences can be found on their website.