Airbnb is taking a stand to protect disabled travelers. Responding to troubling incidents involving disabled hosts, the company has acquired Accomable, a startup that specializes in travel planning for people with disabilities and has built a network of barrier-free accommodations across more than 60 countries. Over the coming months, Accomable's listings will be added to Airbnb's database, allowing travelers to see exact details about each property—whether it is fully wheelchair accessible or only the entrance meets accessibility standards.
Using detailed checklists, hosts will be able to fill out questionnaires describing their accommodations precisely. They can specify, for example, whether the entrance is wide enough for a wheelchair to pass through. Airbnb has already integrated the feature on its website, and the mobile app should follow in the coming months.
The checklist will help Airbnb map accommodations that cannot yet welcome disabled guests and prevent the exclusion that has occurred until now.
Airbnb is an online platform that connects people seeking short-term lodging with private hosts who have extra space to rent. The site launched in October 2007, founded by Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia, and Nathan Blecharczyk. By June 2012, it listed accommodations in more than 26,000 cities across 192 countries.
Source: Startup Italia!