Airbnb announced it has acquired accessible accommodation platform Accomable as part of a broader effort to better support travelers with disabilities.
Accomable founders Srin Madipalli and Martyn Sibley will join the Airbnb team while their website's 1,100 or so listings will be added to Airbnb's inventory in the coming months.
The San Francisco-based company confirmed that all of Accomable's listings feature step-free access, high-quality photos and detailed information on accessibility adaptations.
The price and terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, Reuters reported.
Airbnb also revealed that it's already working on an "accessibility needs" checklists for hosts that will allow them to be more descriptive about their home. For example, they'll be able to indicate whether their listing offers step-free entry to rooms and/or wide entryways to accommodate a guest in a wheelchair.
Previously, hosts could only label their listing as wheelchair accessible.
"We've already begun to roll out this new feature to allow guests to search based on accessibility criteria that is important to them on the web, and Apple iOS and Android will follow over the next few months," the company stated Thursday.
Beyond the new filters, Airbnb said its working to improve the user-friendliness of its website and app via enhanced color contrast and redesigned text.
Airbnb has also partnered with Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired to conduct research studies it hopes will inspire additional platform improvements in the years to come.
The move to bring Accomable into the fold is the latest example of how Airbnb is evolving from an accommodation rental service into a full-blown travel agency. The company has sought to launch a premium service better suited to compete with hotels, in-app restaurant reservations and a new tool for business travelers.
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