Airbnb is committed to making travel more inclusive. That’s why we’re excited to announce a new collaboration with the National Federation of the Blind, the largest consumer organization of blind people in the United States, to help improve our services and access for the blind community.

As part of this collaboration, the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) will provide guidance and feedback on our products and policies as we work to better meet the needs of people who are blind or who have low vision. Part of this work will include continuing to make sure Hosts welcome guide dogs and other service animals and understand the critical functions they perform for people with disabilities.

The NFB will also continue to join quarterly Disability Advisory Roundtables convened by Airbnb and hosted by the National Council of Independent Living (NCIL), with a number of national and regional organizations, activists, advocates and leaders in the United States that represent a variety of people with disabilities. The NFB has participated in these roundtables since 2017. We will also work with the NFB to empower the organization’s members to access the financial opportunities of hosting on Airbnb.

“While we’ve made progress in our work to improve the accessibility and usability of Airbnb, there is more work to be done. Guidance from the National Federation of the Blind will be invaluable and by working together, we will strengthen our community.” Janaye Ingram, Airbnb Director of 21st Century Community Initiatives

“The National Federation of the Blind is delighted to collaborate with Airbnb to help this innovative company make its services and platform more accessible to blind people. We believe this collaboration will facilitate better travel and accommodation experiences, as well as economic opportunities, for many blind people in America and beyond. The collaboration also represents the kinds of relationships we seek with businesses of all kinds in order to improve accessibility and opportunity for the blind.” Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind

Insights from experts like the NFB are critically important as we continue working to improve accessibility on our platform and policies. We have taken a number of steps in recent years, including:

  • Dedicated teams focused on building more inclusive products
  • Conducting research with people with disabilities to help inform product decisions
  • Continuing to share and develop educational materials for our Host community about how to host guests with accessibility needs

We are committed to learning and implementing more ways to improve our products and services for people with a variety of disabilities.

About the National Federation of the Blind

The National Federation of the Blind, headquartered in Baltimore, defends the rights of blind people of all ages and provides information and support to families with blind children, older Americans who are losing vision, and more. Founded in 1940, the NFB is the transformative membership and advocacy organization of blind Americans with affiliates, chapters, and divisions in the fifty states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico. We believe in the hopes and dreams of blind people and work together to transform them into reality. Learn more about our many programs and initiatives at nfb.org.

About Airbnb

Airbnb was born in 2007 when two hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to over 5 million hosts who have welcomed over 1.5 billion guest arrivals in almost every country across the globe. Every day, hosts offer unique stays and experiences that make it possible for guests to connect with communities in a more authentic way.

About Airbnb.org

Airbnb.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to facilitating temporary stays for people in times of crisis around the world. Airbnb.org operates independently and leverages Airbnb, Inc.'s technology, services, and other resources at no charge to carry out Airbnb.org's charitable purpose. The inspiration for Airbnb.org began in 2012 with a single host named Shell who opened up her home to people impacted by Hurricane Sandy. This sparked a movement and marked the beginning of a program that allows hosts on Airbnb to provide stays for people in times of need. Since then, the program has evolved to focus on emergency response and to help provide stays to evacuees, relief workers, refugees, asylum seekers, and frontline workers fighting the spread of COVID-19. Since then, hosts have offered to open up their homes and helped provide accommodations to 100,000 people in times of need. Airbnb.org is a separate and independent entity from Airbnb, Inc. Airbnb, Inc. does not charge service fees for Airbnb.org supported stays on its platform.

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