Airbnb Highlights Ongoing Innovation Towards ‘Making Travel More Accessible’ For All

Forbes Leadership Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Airbnb Highlights Ongoing Innovation Towards ‘Making Travel More Accessible’ For All Steven Aquino Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Steven covers accessibility and assistive technology. Following May 23, 2023, 05:53pm EDT | Press play to listen to this article! Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Airbnb has a slew of adaptive homes accessible to guests with disabilities.

Airbnb To celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day last week, Airbnb published a blog post in which the San Francisco-based company shared updates on how it’s making lodging more accessible and inclusive. Among the so-called “key takeaways” from the announcement is Airbnb’s claim it has reviewed and confirmed the accuracy of “almost 300,000 accessibility features across the platform. ” Additionally, the company said the new Adapted category, launched back in December as part of its annual Winter Review series, currently features more than 1,100 listings worldwide, with Adapted hosts earning a combined $5.

5 million (roughly $4,000 per host) in profit. Lastly, Airbnb announced what it described as the “ten most wishlisted Adapted homes” on the service; they include treehouses, domes, and log cabins, Airbnb said. “Travel is an incredible way to connect with people and places and we are committed to making it easier for everyone, including those with accessibility needs, to be able to travel freely and with confidence,” Catherine Powell, Airbnb’s global head of hosting, said in a statement.

“We are incredibly proud of the progress we have made with the help of our Hosts, guests and our partners in the disability community. There is more work to do and our teams are working tirelessly to onboard even more accessibility-friendly listings and continue improving the travel experience for guests with disabilities and accessibility needs. ” Airbnb, on mobile and on the web, has an Adapted category for disabled people.

Airbnb All of Airbnb’s recent announcements are noteworthy, but the Accessibility Review news is the standout of this cycle. The company’s journey towards better accessibility started humbly enough in 2018, when prospective guests could search for wheelchair-friendly homes. That aperture has grown exponentially wider in the years since, culminating into the launches of the Accessibility Review initiative in November 2021 and of the Adapted category mere months ago.

It isn’t hyperbolic or puffery of Airbnb to characterize Accessibility Review as a “landmark” moment—since its launch, Accessibility Review now features over 140,000 places to stay, which they said is an increase of 450%. MORE FOR YOU What To See And Do On Your Summer Trip To Atlanta The Best Of Tallinn Is Outside The Medieval Walls Discover The Real Bali And Its Ancient Healing Traditions At The Spa Village Resort In Tembok “As we celebrate [Global Accessibility Awareness Day], we recognize our strategic partners around the world who are committed to driving accessibility innovation across their platforms,” Caroline Casey, a disability activist and founder of the Valuable 500 , said in a statement. “The digital landscape is often a difficult one for people with disabilities to navigate, so we commend Airbnb’s leadership and commitment to introduce products and experiences that meet their needs.

” Elsewhere in the post, Airbnb mentions ancillary ways in which they are supporting accessibility awareness and the disability community. The company gives a shoutout to UK disability advocate and television presenter Sophie Morgan, a wheelchair user who has listed her home on the platform. The company also highlighted their work in being partners with the International Paralympic Committee and the Special Olympics.

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn . Check out my website . Steven Aquino Editorial Standards Print Reprints & Permissions.