Website changes for reading impaired

Website changes for reading impaired


I had a layer calling me multiple times that my website is against fair housing act and that this can cause a lawsuit and a huge fine. This is in regards to reading impaired people who will need to be able to read websites Has anyone experienced such a thing? 

5 Replies 5
Brian2036
Level 10
Arkansas, United States

@Virginia-and-Vanessa0 

 

Someone is messing with you and I suggest that you block that caller, although if it’s a professional con-artist or an actual crooked lawyer (imagine that!) they probably have one of those things that change their phone number every time.

 

STRs are not subject to the Fair Housing Act mandates.

 

Furthermore, any claim of discrimination, based on use of an on-line platform, would be preposterous in the extreme.

 

People who can’t read for whatever reason are free to ask someone else to read it to them or obtain text-to-voice software.

Thank you Brian for getting back to me. I too googled and did see that these demands for websites exist, but I am such a small business owner that they picked me. I will be on the phone today and will call Fair Housing and will post an update. 

Brian2036
Level 10
Arkansas, United States

@Virginia-and-Vanessa0 

 

Actually I might not be entirely correct about the FSA.

 

 I just checked and found:

 

What are types of housing not covered under the FHA?

 

Buildings with four or less units (where the landlord occupies one of the units);

 

Single family housing sold or rented without a real estate agent;

 

Hotels and motels (which are, however, considered places of public accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act); and

 

Private clubs.

 

States also have their own laws.

 

Regardless of any of that, advertising online certainly does NOT constitute discrimination against the “Reading Impaired.”

 

The Airbnb Legal Department might get a good laugh out of that claim though. 

M199
Level 10
South Bruce Peninsula, Canada

@Virginia-and-Vanessa0, @Brian2036 

 

I'm Canadian, so don't know your laws.

 

But really?  Host don't  have access to system set up except what the Airbnb Platform provides.  It's their issue, not the hosts.  Airbnb is providing the global marketing service for a fee to both hosts and guests.

Brian2036
Level 10
Arkansas, United States

@M199 

 

I’m assuming that the OP has her own website in addition to listing with Airbnb, but regardless of that, unless her website says something like, “I don’t rent to illiterate people,” there’s nothing discriminatory about it.

 

Would advertising a real estate agency in a newspaper be inherently discriminatory?

 

How about radio advertising? Deaf people would be excluded. Boo hoo.

 

Either I’m missing some important detail or she’s being harassed by someone who is delusional.