TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

John Morris

Airbnb Offering Accessible Outdoor Experiences for Wheelchair Users

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Adaptive surfing and person on beach wheelchair.

In celebration of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Airbnb partnered with No Barriers, a non-profit organization that connects disabled people with opportunities to engage with nature.

As part of this collaboration, Airbnb has highlighted accessible experiences and places to stay that have accessibility features available for disabled guests.

Suzanne Edwards, Airbnb’s head of accessibility standards, said that “we continue working to grow the number of stays and Experiences for guests with accessibility needs.” A wheelchair user herself, Suzanne said that she’s “been inspired by Hosts’ stylish rural homes with accessibility features.”

The accessible experiences available through Airbnb include a beginner’s horseback ride designed for neurodiverse guests and an adaptive canoe excursion.

To learn more, read the full article in Travel + Leisure.

Nature Calls: UNWTO Answers – Best Practices for Improving Accessibility in the Great Outdoors

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Wheelchair bike on national park trail.
NPS/Jacob W. Frank

The UNWTO’S Working Group on Accessible Tourism, in coordination with its Affiliate Members Department and the Spanish Network for Accessible Tourism has published “Accessibility and Inclusive Tourism Development: Compendium of Best Practices.” The publication addresses the topic of accessibility in the outdoors and public parks.

The document provides examples of best practices for improving accessibility in nature to attract travelers with disabilities. The publication is an important step in opening nature areas to disabled people, which is a priority for destinations around the world.

To read the full report, which includes valuable case studies, visit the UNWTO website. You can read more about the publication in this article from ENAT.

Save the Date: TravelAbility June 24 debuts with 17 presenters in 4 hours + Exclusive networking event July 1st

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TravelAbility Summit logo.

We are pleased to announce the following organizations will be presenting at TravelAbility virtual June 24th from 8:00am-12:30 pm followed by an optional Meet the presenters networking session one week later.

Google, Royal Caribbean, Delta Airlines, Open Doors Organization, Houston Airports, Marriott, Scandic Hotels, Travegali, Walt Disney World, Incredible Memories Travel, Wheelchair Travel Solutions, Magical Story Book Travels, European Network for Accessible Travel, German Tourism Board, The Beaches of Ft. Myers and Sanibel, Design Sensory, Expedia, Auberge Hotels and Resorts

Taking the learnings from the first two virtual events—LaunchPad and Parakeet—that Travelability produced earlier this year, we’ve asked presenters to limit themselves to 5-7 minutes each after which they proceed to roundtable format for lively interactive conversations.

Add-on Networking session one week later.

Attendees will be able to network among themselves as well as presenters through a series of 6-person roundtables, each hosted by a selected speaker.

Here’s the agenda, where you’ll find full details for all coming events. Register Now: There are a limited number of VIP Passes still available

Most Accessible Cities in the World: Can You Guess Which American City Made the List?

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Denver, Colorado skyline.

No city can claim to be fully accessible, but some are leading the pack in creating a welcoming environment for disabled travelers.

Accessible travel expert Martin Heng recently identified 5 of the world’s most accessible cities in an article for The Points Guy. The cities he identified span multiple continents and include one city in the United States — Denver, Colorado!

To read more about the cities Heng has identified as examples for their accessibility, read his article at The Points Guy.

Tips and Tricks for Road Trips with a Wheelchair

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Rural roadway seen through the window of a car.

As disabled people resume traveling this summer, many will prefer to avoid the packed airplanes, trains and buses and take to the America’s highways instead. Sylvia Longmire, a wheelchair user and founder of Spin the Globe, recently wrote an article for Orbitz that provides some tips for taking a road trip as a wheelchair user.

Sylvia’s tips include making sure your vehicle (and wheelchair) are both serviced and “road ready,” planning your itinerary based on the accessibility of destinations, and searching for a hotels along the route that will meet your accessibility needs.

To read more of Sylvia’s tips for an accessible summer road trip, check out her article on the Orbitz website.