Transportation

By Jennifer Allen

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.