Airbnb office. Unlimited RF stock.

Airbnb Inc. announced a pre-litigation settlement Monday with two California-based advocacy groups that will require the company to make its online marketplace more accessible for people with disabilities. The deal was inked through the structured negotiations process, a collaborative dispute resolution method that keeps companies out of court, and has been used by disability rights groups.

After nearly 10 months of talks, San Francisco-based Airbnb's in-house legal team reached an agreement with California Council of the Blind (CCB) and the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers (CFILC). The two nonprofit organizations, which support disability rights, were represented by Rosen Bien Galvan & Grunfeld.

“We're really pleased we've been able to reach this agreement,” said Kara Janssen, an associate at RBGG. “It's the first of its kind, to apply this to something like Airbnb.”

Janssen, who worked alongside RBGG partner Gay Grunfeld, said she heard from people with disabilities who wanted to use Airbnb, but were discouraged. Users searching for wheelchair-accessible homes only found results with staircases and high countertops. Hosts rejected users with service animals, considering them pets rather than necessary, highly trained guides.

She wanted to help people with disabilities access the affordable travel housing possibilities on Airbnb as quickly as possible—that's why her team chose structured negotiation over litigation.

“Structured negotiation allows you to address the problem much more quickly than when you get stuck in litigation for a long time,” she said. “We had an initial meeting to talk about issues and concerns, and then we could focus on how to solve the problem rather than spending time and money in court.”

According to Janssen, her firm always reaches out to potential defendants before pursuing litigation in this type of case.

She said RBGG has previously negotiated with Airbnb and Lyft Inc., and both have been eager to work on structured negotiations, as it's a chance to avoid a potential discrimination suit, extra costs and bad PR, while making platforms more accessible to more users.

Now, Airbnb users will be able to use more specific search filters, such as “no stairs,” so that they can find a home that better fits their needs. The company's FAQ page has been clarified to say that hosts are required to accept service animals—unless they are a threat to their health or safety—even if the host has stated “no pets.” Airbnb will continue its anti-discrimination policy, which requires warnings, or in some cases, permanent removal from its platform, for hosts who discriminate against those with disabilities.

And the company will also boost anti-bias training for its internal team, with expanded lessons on how to identify and assist users who have been discriminated against because of a disability.

Separate from the settlement, last week, the company announced its acquisition of Accomable, a site that matches people with disabilities with accessible travel accommodations.

“Airbnb is committed to creating a world where anyone can belong anywhere,” said David King, Airbnb's director of diversity and belonging in a statement. “Ensuring our community is open and accessible to everyone has been a key priority and our ongoing work with the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers and the California Council of the Blind will help ensure we are designing and building a community that meets everyone's needs.”

Airbnb office. Unlimited RF stock.

Airbnb Inc. announced a pre-litigation settlement Monday with two California-based advocacy groups that will require the company to make its online marketplace more accessible for people with disabilities. The deal was inked through the structured negotiations process, a collaborative dispute resolution method that keeps companies out of court, and has been used by disability rights groups.

After nearly 10 months of talks, San Francisco-based Airbnb's in-house legal team reached an agreement with California Council of the Blind (CCB) and the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers (CFILC). The two nonprofit organizations, which support disability rights, were represented by Rosen Bien Galvan & Grunfeld.

“We're really pleased we've been able to reach this agreement,” said Kara Janssen, an associate at RBGG. “It's the first of its kind, to apply this to something like Airbnb.”

Janssen, who worked alongside RBGG partner Gay Grunfeld, said she heard from people with disabilities who wanted to use Airbnb, but were discouraged. Users searching for wheelchair-accessible homes only found results with staircases and high countertops. Hosts rejected users with service animals, considering them pets rather than necessary, highly trained guides.

She wanted to help people with disabilities access the affordable travel housing possibilities on Airbnb as quickly as possible—that's why her team chose structured negotiation over litigation.

“Structured negotiation allows you to address the problem much more quickly than when you get stuck in litigation for a long time,” she said. “We had an initial meeting to talk about issues and concerns, and then we could focus on how to solve the problem rather than spending time and money in court.”

According to Janssen, her firm always reaches out to potential defendants before pursuing litigation in this type of case.

She said RBGG has previously negotiated with Airbnb and Lyft Inc., and both have been eager to work on structured negotiations, as it's a chance to avoid a potential discrimination suit, extra costs and bad PR, while making platforms more accessible to more users.

Now, Airbnb users will be able to use more specific search filters, such as “no stairs,” so that they can find a home that better fits their needs. The company's FAQ page has been clarified to say that hosts are required to accept service animals—unless they are a threat to their health or safety—even if the host has stated “no pets.” Airbnb will continue its anti-discrimination policy, which requires warnings, or in some cases, permanent removal from its platform, for hosts who discriminate against those with disabilities.

And the company will also boost anti-bias training for its internal team, with expanded lessons on how to identify and assist users who have been discriminated against because of a disability.

Separate from the settlement, last week, the company announced its acquisition of Accomable, a site that matches people with disabilities with accessible travel accommodations.

“Airbnb is committed to creating a world where anyone can belong anywhere,” said David King, Airbnb's director of diversity and belonging in a statement. “Ensuring our community is open and accessible to everyone has been a key priority and our ongoing work with the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers and the California Council of the Blind will help ensure we are designing and building a community that meets everyone's needs.”