TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Technology

Accessibility Champions of Change: Alvaro Silberstein of Wheel the World

by

By Jennifer Allen

Alvaro in his wheelchair with a big grin on his face. He's on what appears to be a gravel trail - a meadow full of yellowish grass expands behind him with a gray/blue mountain range in the background.

Wheel the World has quickly become the resource in disability travel – both for travelers looking for the guarantee of an accessible destination, and for destinations looking to become the accessible destination. This article from Co-Founder Alvaro Silberstein shares an incredible journey from paralysis – both physically and metaphorically – to conquering mountains.

The Backstory

My journey into accessibility began with my personal experience. After a car accident left me paralyzed as a teenager, I never lost my passion for travel and adventure. However, I quickly realized how challenging it was for people with disabilities to find reliable accessibility information and plan trips with confidence. In 2016, I set out on a life-changing journey to Torres del Paine National Park in Chile, where I became the first wheelchair user to complete the trek with the support of friends. That experience sparked the idea that accessibility should never be a barrier to exploring the world.

I co-founded Wheel the World in 2018 to empower travelers with disabilities by providing them with verified accessibility information and the ability to book accessible travel experiences seamlessly. Since then, we’ve helped 20+ thousands of travelers explore destinations they once thought were out of reach.

The Vision

At Wheel the World, our mission is simple: to make the world accessible. We believe that every person, regardless of ability, should have the opportunity to explore the world with confidence.

To achieve this, we focus on two key areas:

1. WheeltheWorld.com – A travel booking platform that provides travelers with disabilities detailed and verified accessibility information to book accommodations, tours, and transportation suited to their needs.

2. Destination Verified – An Accessibility Management System designed to help destinations and hospitality businesses improve, verify, and promote their accessibility, ensuring they can welcome all travelers.

We are not just building a company; we are leading a movement to make travel more inclusive worldwide.

The Hurdles

The greatest barriers in this journey aren’t physical. The main struggles we face have been:

  • Lack of Reliable Accessibility Data: The travel industry historically lacked structured and verified accessibility information, making it difficult to build a comprehensive, trustworthy database.
  • Skepticism from Industry Partners: Many hotels and destinations underestimated the market opportunity for travelers with disabilities. We had to educate and convince them of the demand and value in being more inclusive.
  • Scaling Accessibility Verification: Accessibility is not one-size-fits-all, so we developed a structured approach to collect and verify accessibility data at scale. Our trained mappers and tech-driven solutions allow us to capture detailed information that travelers can trust.
  • Despite these challenges, we’ve built a platform used by many thousands of travelers and secured partnerships with major destinations to drive accessibility forward.

The Future

 2025 will be a pivotal year for scaling our impact. Our focus will be on:

1. Expanding Destination Verified – We aim to work with over 200 destinations globally to verify and enhance their accessibility.

2. Growing our Travel Platform – We plan to double the number of accessible experiences and accommodations available for booking through WheeltheWorld.com.

3. Enhancing Technology & Personalization – Our goal is to improve our AI-powered accessibility matching to provide even more personalized travel recommendations for users.

Advice and Inspiration for Other Would-Be Change Makers

Here are important things to remember:

1. Accessibility is an opportunity, not a compliance checkbox.

Businesses that embrace accessibility win loyal customers and open new markets. The disability travel market alone is worth $120 billion annually.

2. Make accessibility information structured and transparent.

Many businesses offer accessibility features but fail to communicate them properly. Travelers with disabilities want detailed, reliable information, not vague claims.

3. Train staff to provide better service.

Frontline hospitality staff often lack the knowledge to assist travelers with disabilities. Simple training programs can make a huge difference.

4. Engage the disability community.

Organizations should work alongside people with disabilities, not just design accessibility solutions for them. User feedback is key.

5. Make accessibility a business priority.

The travel industry needs C-level executives and decision-makers to actively invest in accessibility as a core strategy, not an afterthought.

6. Follow other organizations and individuals that are driving innovation in accessibility and/or travel. 

Some that inspire me include:

  • Hipcamp.com – I love this company’s brand, purpose, and communication.
  • Diego Mariscal – Founder of Together International, a nonprofit that supports disabled entrepreneurs. I believe his mission and impact are powerful.

Investing in Accessibility: Chris Maher’s Podcast Unveils Venture Capital’s Accessibility Blind Spot

by

By Jennifer Allen

What do a deaf-blind potter and an accessible travel booking platform have in common? 

High return investment potential.

In the world of venture capital, accessibility has often been overlooked. But Chris Maher, founder and general partner of Samaritan Partners, is working to change that. His new podcast, Investing in Accessibility, delves into the intersection of accessibility, entrepreneurship, advocacy, and impact investing, highlighting the ways in which innovation can drive both social change and financial returns.

The Mission Behind the Podcast

Like many in the disability inclusion space, Chris Maher became an advocate through personal connection. As dad to two girls with disabilities, his perspective expanded to take in the gap in opportunities for people with disabilities. 

Samaritan Partners, is a social impact venture fund that exclusively supports early-stage, for-profit companies serving the disability community. These companies range from accessible travel businesses like Wheel the World to AI-driven ASL interpretation platforms.  Recognizing the vast potential of the disability market—comprising over 1.5 billion people globally—Maher launched Investing in Accessibility alongside co-host Kelvin Crosby to amplify conversations around accessible entrepreneurship and investing.

A key theme across the podcast is the vast economic potential of accessibility. Each episode features thought leaders, entrepreneurs, and investors who are making a difference in the disability space. 

 “The disposable income around that population is in the low trillions of dollars. And when you include family, friends, and caregivers, the market is significant, to say the least,” Chris shares.

Companies that prioritize inclusive design often find that their innovations benefit a much wider audience. Consider the curb-cut effect – “originally designed for wheelchair users, curb cuts are now essential for parents with strollers, delivery workers, and more.” We see this pattern continuously with inclusive design.

Moreover, businesses that embrace accessibility see significant financial benefits. In fact, Chris shares that “Companies that take an inclusive approach—whether for their employees or customers—see the benefits. Revenue and profitability go up. Customer retention improves. Employee engagement and productivity increase.” The financial sector, for example, is recognizing that as their customer base ages, accessibility will be critical for serving them effectively. 

The Journey So Far

Since launching the podcast, Maher and Crosby have covered a variety of topics, introducing listeners to inspiring stories and groundbreaking innovations. From the deaf-blind potter to the accessible travel booking platform, each episode explores how accessibility can drive business growth. There are consistent themes of market opportunity.

Future episodes will continue to feature leaders in inclusive design, financial services, and disability-focused entrepreneurship.

Expanding the Investment Landscape

One of Maher’s primary goals with both Samaritan Partners and Investing in Accessibility is to attract more investors to the disability sector. While there are a handful of disability-focused funds, funding for disabled entrepreneurs from general venture funds is nearly nonexistent. Historically, support for the disability community has come from nonprofits and government initiatives. Private investors have the opportunity to benefit financially while driving real change.

Chris believes this gap is due in part to the lack of disability representation in the VC space. Investors need to see the revenue – and that’s what this podcast aims to show them

By spotlighting successful entrepreneurs and investment opportunities, Investing in Accessibility aims to shift perceptions and encourage mainstream investors to recognize the value in this growing sector. 

Looking Ahead and DEI

As Maher and Crosby continue their journey with Investing in Accessibility, they hope to reach not just entrepreneurs and disability advocates but also institutional investors, venture capitalists, and corporate leaders. In a season when DEI is being pushed back, this podcast is reminding listeners that DEI was never about tokenism. The disability community doesn’t want to be handed opportunities just because they’re disabled, they want to be considered for opportunities based on their qualifications. This is where the overlooked money is –  investing in good, scalable business opportunities that are coming from a forgotten population.

The podcast is only five episodes in, but each episode is reinforcing the powerful message for investors that an investment in accessibility and inclusion is an investment for all.

Check out the podcast, here.

News from the TravelAbility Community

by

Sunflower program expanding its reach, PVA exposing the numbers behind inaccessibility, Myrtle Beach awarded for inclusion, and more in this month’s community news.

Fort Wayne Using New Cheap, Fast Tech to Make Pedestrian Signals Accessible

MORE

Online Reviews Show Which National Parks are Attracting Disabled Guests

MORE

TravelAbility Trusted Apps and Programs Making Travel Equitable

MORE

Myrtle Beach Awarded 2024 Travel Vanguard Award for its Autism-Friendly Travel Efforts

MORE

Inclusion Made this D.C. Circus a Whole Lot More Entertaining

MORE

PVA Survey Reveals Alarming Accessibility Barriers

MORE

The Best and Worst U.S. States for People With Disabilities

MORE

Cincinnati Makes New Motion to Welcome All

MORE

Sunflower Program Soars with Air Canada

MORE

Medina Becomes the First Autism Certified City™ in Middle East, Setting a Global Benchmark for Inclusivity

MORE

Prince Harry Endorses Destination BC

MORE

Castillo de San Marcos National Monument Becomes First National Park to Earn Certified Autism Center™ Designation

MORE

Emirates sets to become the world’s first Autism Certified Airline™

MORE

Around the Web

by

Celebrities, major brands, and global initiatives for inclusion.

Actress Selma Blair on How Her Disability Impacts Travel

MORE

New Filmmaking Guidelines Show Inclusion Isn’t What We Thought it Was

MORE

Rare Accessible Ice Palace in Adirondacks

MORE

New Training Program for Accessible Travel Planning

MORE

Australia Doing Away with Accessible Rooms – The accessible hotel room will be a relic of the past – replaced by an integrated modularity and customization that offers personalized, universally adaptive accessibility.

MORE

Silver Train Makes New Tracks for Inclusion in China

MORE

The Right Equipment Gets Everyone on the Slopes at these Ski Destinations

MORE

Honda Creates the Scenic Drive for Visually Impaired

MORE

New Tactiles Bring Hogwarts to Life for Blind Fans

MORE

Shark Tank India Highlights Groundbreaking Disability Innovations

MORE

UN Tourism and AccessibleEU Partner for Global Accessible Tourism

MORE

Red Roof’s New Initiatives Give Back through Inclusion

MORE

Innovation of the Month

by

C.O.O., Vannessa LeBoss, shares the journey, the mission, and the impact of 360 Direct Access.

360 Direct Access offers AI and genuine human solutions to expand services to the deaf, hard of hearing, and signing community

The Origin Story

CEO, Craig Radford, is Deaf himself.  360 Direct Access started as a consulting company in August 2017, with a mission to help businesses improve their accessibility services. We provided expert guidance to companies striving to create more inclusive environments, particularly for individuals with disabilities.

In August 2022, a personal experience highlighted the urgency of our mission. Craig shared, “While at an airport, I needed to change my flight—a simple task for most travelers, yet a frustrating ordeal for me as a Deaf individual. I spent 45 minutes on hold to connect with a third party-relay interpreter and another 45 minutes navigating phone trees and waiting for an English-speaking representative. Despite the long wait, there was a miscommunication in the interpreted session, and when I disconnected and saw my email confirmation, I was booked on the wrong flight.”

This moment was a stark reminder of the systemic barriers that millions of Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals face every day. Whether it’s a phone call to customer service or an in-person interaction, the lack of accessible, efficient, and accurate communication solutions is a widespread issue.

The Solution

Determined to drive change, we launched 360 Direct Video, the first truly equitable customer service solution for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community. Our goal was to eliminate the delays, errors, and frustrations that come with traditional interpreting services, while providing an equitable communication experience for the millions of deaf customers today.

As we grew, we realized that technology could push accessibility even further. Six months ago, we acquired an AI sign language recognition company, and two months ago, we began integrating avatars to enhance our platform’s capabilities.

To make in-person interactions as seamless as virtual ones, we also partnered with a company to offer on-demand Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) via QR codes. This allows Deaf individuals to instantly access an interpreter with a simple scan—bridging the communication gap in real-time, anywhere.

With these new innovations and verticals, we decided it was time for a rebrand. What started as 360 Direct Video has evolved into 360 Direct Access—a name that truly reflects our broader mission: providing direct, immediate, and equitable access to communication for all.

After two years of dedicated work, we have secured major contracts, with more exciting partnerships on the horizon. The future of accessibility is here, and we are proud to be leading the way.

We provide trained deaf representatives and an innovative video platform with a signing widget that can go on any website page(s), providing a direct native-language customer support experience to deaf customers calling in. To date, ‘solutions’ are sub par and non equitable, where deaf individuals only have the choice to utilize third party relay interpreted calls or online chat conversations completed in English, which is a 2nd or even 3rd language for a large number within the deaf community. Our approach reduces call times by an average of 42%, increases engagement and customers within this community up to 533%, and provides a superior customer experience, while reducing costs for the business/organization.  We’re skipping past the calls wrought with frustration for both the agent and customer, miscommunications, and unnecessary escalations, as well as the associated higher costs.

Uses

Deaf individuals have the same daily communication needs that hearing people do.  Customer service spans Finance, Telecommunications, Government – local, state and federal divisions, Hospitality/Travel, Retail, and more.

For example, we just launched the first bank in the United States to offer Direct Video Calling (press release going out 3/10) so their Deaf customers can have an equitable communication experience when doing any of their banking needs.

Pricing

Our goal is to meet customers where they are.  Small businesses who want to be accessible can have answering services directly in sign language, while medium and large companies can decide between shared and dedicated customer support agents.  Our turnkey solution has both subscription plans starting at $360/month as well as dedicated agents at an hourly rate directly correlated with the type/level of support being provided. 

Check out the INNOVATEAble pitch here.