Reviewing guest

[Pamela202]

Hi I have been an Airbnb  host for a year and I am enjoying it very much. However I came across a situation a couple of weeks which I want to review honestly for the benefit of future hosts.  but I am concerned I will be accused of prejudice. 

A couple booked with me for one night some time ago and we communicated without problems in the meantime. However 10 minutes before they were due to arrive they informed me that they communicated by sign language only. I was very surprised to say the least , although they had had the opportunity to mention this. This gave me no time to prepare materials to communicate with them in an easy way, which would have been possible if I had had notice. I think that other hosts should know about this before they accept their booking , so they have time to prepare. However I do not want to be judged negatively. What do other hosts suggest?

Pamela

[Esther124]

Hi @Pamela202, I don't think that hosting a deaf couple can give a lot of trouble unless you want to chat with them. I don't know what "materials to communicate" would had  you prepared. A notebook to write there and show them? That's rude.

For my experience deaf people that travel are perfectly used to not-deaf people. Think of them as Chinese that doesn't speak a bit of English. What you do with non English speakers? Mimics. So that's the same case.

As I said if they didn't cause you trouble because of their dissability I don't believe you should mention it. Were they nice? Left the place clean and tidy? Did they follow the house rules?

I would have been more worried if they were a couple in wheelchairs as your home perhaps is not prepared for those, but deaf people are completly functional and don't need anything especial.

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Pamela202

I think I agree with @Esther124

All you'd really need to communicate is a pen and something to write with......or you can easily just type or chat thru messenger. Not sure what kind of "materials to communicate" you'd need.  Imo, I think the guests decided to tell you just before arriving just so that you wouldn't be caught off guard and embarass yourself - not because they need any sort of special treatment or consideration. 

[Gordon0]

Perhaps they didn't mention it because they feared unconscious bias from you, their host? 

[Letti0]

@Pamela202  I would not say a word. ASL (American Sign Language) is common in my family as I have a deaf nephew. My daughter is a doctor specializing in the deaf and hearing impaired I think it would be insulting to them to mention something publicly. It's no one's business but their own. Would you mention that you had guests come that only spoke Italian, so it was difficult to communicate? Of course not, this is the same.