VRBO Reveals CHANGES To Make Travel More Accessible

Finding somewhere accessible to stay for your vacations can be hard. VRBO is trying to change that.

©VRBO

VRBO announced a partnership with Becoming rentABLE to allow guests to pick filters to find more accessible spaces, making traveling just a little bit easier.

Becoming rentABLE is changing the game for accessible short-term rentals by acknowledging that accessibility isn’t one size fits all. The new system adds eight new filters to searches, including:

Single-level property
Stair-free path to entrance
Accessible parking
Accessible pool
Handrail in a stairway or hallway
Entrance ramp
Accessible path of travel
Accessible van parking

Previously, the only filters were “wheelchair accessible” and “elevators.” Wheelchair accessible can be too broad a term, which can cause issues when guests arrive at properties and learn that the host’s idea of wheelchair accessibility is not the same for them.

©VRBO

VRBO is owned by Expedia, which could be a great start to making travel more accessible. Right now, if you were to search for a hotel to stay in on Expedia, your filter options are:

Elevator
Roll-in shower
Accessible bathroom
In-room accessibility
Service animals allowed
Stair-free path to entrance
Wheelchair accessible parking
Sign language-capable staff

Combining both accessibility filters can help guests tailor a short-term rental to their needs.

©Expedia

The vice president of vacation rental partnerships at VRBO said, “Our hope is that this partnership not only educates and empowers short-term rental owners to make rentals more accessible but also encourages accessible travel across the entire hospitality industry.”

©VRBO

Becoming rentAble also developed an online course to provide practical accessibility advice and guidance for rental property owners. Currently, only 0.1% of short-term rentals are accessible, and over 16% of the population has a disability worldwide.

These new changes are pushing towards a more accessible future and making travel easier for everyone. Keep following DFB for more travel news that can affect your upcoming trip.

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