What a brilliant idea someone had to start a holiday destination site for wheelchair users. Just like AirBnB, Accomable sets out to make accessible accommodation available to all users of wheelchairs so that they too can book a self-catering style break knowing that the usual challenges faced by wheelchair users are all under control.

Typical mobility issues faced by wheelchair users are things like steps and stairs, beds that are either too high or too low, door ways that are too narrow, and lack of accessible bathrooms and toilets. Even when you book a wheelchair accessible hotel room you can still come unstuck with surprises that make your stay less than ideal.

So it was really good to see that someone's bright idea might make things more doable for users of wheelchairs. That particular someone is Srin Madipalli, a former London solicitor who has spinal muscular atrophy and is hoping to change things for anyone with a physical disability so that they too can find and book accessible holiday accommodation.

“I’ve always loved to travel but found the logistics of planning a trip with a wheelchair incredibly difficult,” Madipalli says. “I’d often arrive at an accommodation that was advertised as accessible only to find steps to the front door!”

Wheelchair user Mr Madipalli is an Oxford graduate who worked as a solicitor for many years before wanting a change. He then decided to learn some programming skills to enable him to design the blueprint for the Accomable web site that is designed to change the holiday options for wheelchair users the world over. The original remit was to conquer the UK market and then Europe but recent developments show that the US is now being served with wheelchair friendly properties popping up in San Francisco and other states. Accomable now  lists more than 1000 places to stay in over 60 countries worldwide.

TO ensure that Accomable meets the grade there is a remit that Mr Madipalli has set out:

“Our minimum requirements are that each property must have step-free access, at least one step-free bedroom and bathroom, and that the step-free bathroom has at least one adaptation. We extensively list and verify each property’s accessible features, using photo and video technology, to offer as much information to our customers as possible,” he says. “We visit properties all of the time (some of our team are based abroad, too), and we often tap into the disabled community.”

Wanting to go one step further than AirBnb Mr Madipalli has now broadened the horizons and is working on adding everything from accessible transportation to a fully organised holidays, with the ultimate objective of making Accomable a one-stop shop for mobility friendly travel.

“Our mission is to help anyone go anywhere. We want to make vacations fun and stress-free, whether it’s your first-time holidaying in a wheelchair, you need additional care or are traveling as a family,” Madipalli says. “To do this, our ethos is to be as open and transparent as possible, giving our customers all the information, so they can find the right stay for their needs. Most people on our team have a mobility issue, so we understand the challenges our customers face.”