Becoming rentABLE: Accessible Short-term Rental Accommodation

Up until now, it has been tough for people with disabilities to locate vacation rental properties that can accommodate their accessibility needs. Well, no more. Becoming RentABLE, a new start-up dedicated to creating awareness and positive change for travel accessibility in short-term rental properties has launched a new website to make this task much easier.

Founder and life-long disability advocate Lorraine Woodward and her team noticed a lack of accessibility search filters on popular booking platforms for short-term vacation rental properties, so they created their searchable list. The group's accessibility filter criteria include features essential to those with mobility issues (whether wheelchair-accessible or walker-friendly), vision, hearing, intellectual or developmental disabilities, and those on the autism spectrum.

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The new website, Becoming RentABLE, has thirty-three searchable filters for accessibility which is nearly three times more compared to one major booking platform's thirteen filters and seventeen times more than another major booking platform's two filters. The comprehensive list of filters is what Woodward and her team deem necessary to identify a truly accessible short-term rental specific to the needs of most renters with disabilities. This is a game changer in the search for accessible vacation rentals.

"We take into account not only the entrance to a property but the whole experience," says Woodward. "Accessibility doesn't just mean wheelchair friendly. We are looking at all accommodation issues across a broad range of needs. We are going into the depths of those needs and want to make it convenient for travelers to find properties with accommodations suitable to address their needs."

A team of researchers at Becoming RentABLE is scouring property listings on major booking platforms to identify vacation rental listings with accessibility features meeting their clearly defined criteria and adding them to the Becoming RentABLE website as they are found. While not a booking platform, the website helps identify vacation rental properties that are accessible, then links the user to those listings on their respective booking platforms. The website is free to end users and property owners.

"We want to be a one-stop shop to help consumers locate an accessible short-term rental for their next travel adventure," says Woodward, adding, "We also want to educate property owners to understand what is meant by accessibility and assist them in determining how to make their property accessible."

Becoming RentABLE provides free educational materials about accessibility and has professional consulting services available. Becoming RentABLE is also creating a television show for these purposes, now in the pilot stage.

Becoming RentABLE urges property owners with an accessible rental property to make those features known in their listing so that it comes up in a filtered search.

"If you have an accessible short-term rental property, let us know. We'd be happy to review your property and include it on our website map of accessible properties," said Woodward.

What People Are Saying About Becoming RentABLE

"The Muscular Dystrophy Association is always working towards a more inclusive world for our community, and our families living with neuromuscular diseases are some of the most innovative in the world. The work of Becoming RentABLE is a great example of the benefits of inclusion for people with disabilities, our society, and the economy. We applaud this transformative approach to finding the right vacation rental for families of all abilities." - Kristine Welker, Chief of Staff, Muscular Dystrophy Association.

"Becoming rentABLE is something that has been needed in our industry for way too long, and I couldn't be more excited to see Lorraine and her team make this a reality. As an industry professional with siblings and close family members with Down Syndrome, Autism, and cerebral palsy, I want to see more operators, OTA's, and others in the industry to low suit this as a standard practice. It should've been a long time ago. The power of hospitality is that we all come together for a greater purpose, which is a great purpose to get behind." - Wil Slickers, Founder of Hospitality.FM, Co-Founder & COO at Recreation Rentals.

Amy KD Tobik, Editor-in-Chief of Exceptional Needs Today magazine, said she is highly impressed by the progress disability advocate Lorraine Berry Woodward has made with the development of the Becoming RentABLE platform. "Finding accessible short-term/vacation rentals, including autism-friendly properties, can be a major challenge for millions of people in the United States," Amy said. "The lack of accessible rentals impacts not only individuals with disabilities who want or need to travel--it affects families who otherwise may not have the opportunity to make life-long memories together. Lorraine's vision is changing the landscape for millions of people worldwide." - Amy KD Tobik Editor-in-Chief, Exceptional Needs Today, CEO, Lone Heron Publishing.

"Congratulations to the staff at Becoming rentABLE for continuing what we started with Accomable in advancing the importance of accessible short-term rental/vacation rentals. Not only are you addressing a more comprehensive list of filters in your online travel portal, but including Walker Friendly and ADD/Autism is a game changer to our short-term rental community." - Martyn Sibley, Co-Founder & CEO Disability Horizon, Co-Founder Accomable.

"It is awesome the disability community once again has a dedicated short-term rental site that's exclusively accessible properties only. The big short-term rental sites don't have the staff, or heart, to ensure accessibility." - Tiffiny Carlson, Executive Director, SPINALpedia.

"I love this concept. It opens doors for many who would otherwise not be able to travel." - Ray Smithers, CEO The Autism Channel.

Also see Little Yellow House: Becoming rentABLE Goes Beyond Wheelchair Access.

Insights, Analysis, and Developments

Attribution/Source(s): This quality-reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by Becoming rentABLE and published on 2021/12/07, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity.