Partnering with United Spinal to host the Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy
As part of our commitment to supporting diverse communities, Airbnb announced a new partnership with the United Spinal Association, an organization dedicated to empowering people with spinal cord injuries and disorders, and all wheelchair users. This comes as searches using our 13 accessibility search filters have grown 40 percent globally, demonstrating increasing demand for accommodations with accessibility features.1
Airbnb and United Spinal will partner through the Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy, an entrepreneurship development program that introduces people from diverse and historically underrepresented communities to hosting on the Airbnb platform. Building on the success of previous Academy programs, Airbnb and United Spinal will develop a first-of-its-kind Academy tailored to people with mobility needs. Hosted via webinar, the program will include guidance on how to get started on the platform and how to showcase the accessibility features of their homes on their listing pages.
This partnership is designed to support members of the mobility community in accessing the economic benefits of hosting. In the US alone, Hosts earned more than $24 billion in supplemental income in 2023, helping them pay bills, save for retirement, and cover housing costs. As with all Academy programs, participants will hear directly from existing Hosts on how to find success on Airbnb. Since its inception in 2017, the Academy has helped more than 4,500 participants across 12 countries learn how to host.
This initiative is also part of our commitment to make travel more accessible. With product innovations including Accessibility Review and the Adapted Category, we aim to grow the number of homes with accessibility features, making it easier for people with accessibility needs to find listings that meet their needs. Airbnb has a longstanding collaboration with United Spinal, which participates in our regular Disability Advisory roundtables with a number of national and regional organizations, advocates and leaders in the United States.
“Our partnership with United Spinal is a testament to our shared goal of fostering entrepreneurship within the disability community, as well as making travel more accessible for people of all needs. We are excited to work together and help spread the economic benefits of tourism and hosting on Airbnb to new communities.”
Suzanne Edwards, Head of Accessibility Hosting Standards, Airbnb
“Airbnb shares our commitment to making worldwide travel accessible for wheelchair users, including identifying lodgings with accessibility features at their destinations. We are excited to co-host the Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy, as it will provide interested wheelchair users with the tools and knowledge they need to become successful hosts. This will create economic opportunities for our community while also providing many more wheelchair-accessible properties at popular tourist destinations worldwide.”
Vincenzo Piscopo, United Spinal Association CEO
Interested United Spinal members can visit this website to learn more about the upcoming Academy program. Learn more about the Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy.
Growing global demand for accommodations with accessibility features
The United States, France, Italy, the United Kingdom and Spain topped the list of countries with highest demand for accessibility features on Airbnb this year, with Paris topping the list of cities.2 From an affordable yet luxurious stay in Spain to a rustic cabin on a lake in the UK, we have a great selection of global listings with accessibility features. We’ve included a few of them below:
- Stunning Villa on Lake Garda (Brenzone sul Garda, Italy)
- Spacious Parisian Home (Paris, France)
- Accessible Hinterland Villa with Stunning Views (Talofa, Australia)
- Hidden Gem (Storwood, United Kingdom)
- Sunny Villa (Llanos de Don Juan, Spain)
- Artisan Casita (Albuquerque, NM, United States)
- Modern Cabin (Dahlonega, GA, United States)
- Designer Home (Grand Étang, Canada)
Hosts around the world are recognizing the importance of making their homes more accessible. Marion, a Host in Marboué in France, recently won Airbnb’s ‘Best Hosts of France’ award for accessible accommodation for her single-story apartment near the banks of the Loir.
“I started hosting to supplement my income by renting a room in my home. I decided to convert part of my space into a studio for people with mobility needs. Everyone should be able to travel wherever they want. This renovation project was not easy, given the available space, but the positive feedback I receive from my guests is my greatest reward!”
Marion, a Host in Marboué, France
Jeff, a wheelchair user and Host of a beautiful California home, explains what hosting a home with accessibility features means to him.
“When we realized we had the opportunity to create an accessible stay on Airbnb, we were thrilled! We know first hand the challenges that many people with disabilities face with lodging, and the fact that we had a chance to be a part of the solution was inspiring. We have witnessed first hand the joy that many guests with disabilities have gotten to experience on account of our Airbnb – and it is truly heartwarming.”
Jeff, a Host in Fallbrook, California
Each accessibility feature added by Hosts is reviewed for accuracy through our Accessibility Review process. Since the launch of Accessibility Review in November 2021, Airbnb has reviewed and confirmed nearly 480,000 accessibility features in nearly 160,000 places to stay around the world.
Ahead of the Paris 2024 Games, Airbnb has also launched a series of initiatives in France to encourage people who have a home with accessibility features to list their homes on the platform, including working alongside the APF France handicap association to raise awareness and supporting para-athletes Axel Alletru and Sofyane Mehiaoui as they become Hosts on Airbnb.
