TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Parks and Public spaces

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.

National Park Service Produces Film Series to Showcase Accessibility at Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks

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Tourist standing at foot of giant tree in Sequoia National Park.

The National Park Service has produced 6 films to highlight accessibility at the breathtaking Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.

On its website, the Park Service states that it hopes the films give disabled visitors “an in-depth tour of selected features and facilities so that you can decide whether a visit, hike, camping trip, or tour are within your reach.

The individual films, each about 3 minutes in length, describe accessibility features such as tours of the Crystal Cave with American Sign Language, tactile exhibits on the Grant Tree Trail, wheelchair accessible Sequoia Shuttles, accessible campsites and more.

To learn more about the accessibility at the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and to watch the videos, visit the NPS website.

Splish-Splash! Beach Wheelchairs Truly Make Oregon Beach “Free For Everyone”

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A close-up view of Haystock Rock and its resident tufted puffins are now accessible to wheelchair users, thanks to new beach wheelchairs in Cannon Beach, Oregon. The city’s long, sandy coastline is among the most beautiful in the state.

Visitors can rent the beach wheelchairs for free, checking them out from the nearby police station. Officers will keep watch over the visitor’s personal mobility equipment, which is safely stored inside the station.

“It’s making our beach, which is free for everyone, free for everyone,” said Pooka Rice, the outreach coordinator for the Haystock Rock Awareness Program in Cannon Beach.

OUR TAKE: Cannon Beach is the latest city to make an investment in beach accessibility, and its new beach wheelchairs will make it possible for disabled visitors and residents to enjoy the sun and sand!

For the full text of the local news report, see the original article.

After 2,460 years, the Acropolis in Greece is Now Accessible

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Acropolis hill against a blue sky.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Prime Minister of Greece, visited the Acropolis of Athens earlier this month to inaugurate a new lift and pathways which bring wheelchair accessibility to the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Thanks to these new accessibility features, wheelchair users and others with limited mobility will be able to see the ancient buildings that sit on the top of the hill, most notably the Parthenon. The Prime Minister praised the investment in accessibility, calling it “a project for the whole world.”

OUR TAKE: Modern technology can be integrated into ancient historical sites to enable greater access for everyone. The work done at the Acropolis of Athens has received widespread support and will now make one of the most iconic world heritage sites wheelchair accessible.

To read more, click here.

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