The countless hours looking for an excellent place to stay when traveling can be daunting, especially for those with disabilities. Srin Madipalli and Martyn Sibley, co-founders of Accomable, have saved future travelers with disabilities time by researching ideal places that are accessible and accommodating for people with disabilities. More than 500 properties in over 35 countries can be accessed through Accomable’s website, which allows individuals to filter through available hotel rooms and rentals that are optimal for each traveler’s needs with ease.
Madipalli and Sibley, who both live with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, founded Accomable in 2015. They have since dubbed the website as an “Airbnb for disabled people and anyone with mobility difficulties.” In 2011, Madipalli and Sibley co-founded Disability Horizons Group, an online disability-related lifestyle magazine that is catered to and for people with disabilities. Accomable originally derived from the online magazine. Disability Horizons Group’s web audience has continued to grow and now reaches more than 40,000 people a month.
Each property on Accomable’s website has been reviewed and given a basic, detailed description including the amount of bedrooms and bathrooms and how many people the property can sleep. Each property has a checklist of categories that travelers with a disability can look at to see if the property is best suited to their needs. After selecting the destination, filters on Accomable enable the future traveler to filter what is necessary for their stay to be accessible and comfortable. The filters include step-free access, roll-in showers and grab rails. The description even specifies if the property is suited for visually impaired or hearing impaired individuals. There is also an option to find equipment to hire if the individual needs something extra.
Once the matched rental is found, Accomable directs the person to where they can book their stay. According to the company, direct booking is coming soon.
Lauren Spiler is a freelance journalist based in Athens, Georgia, but most call her Spiler.