Expedia, Wheel the World partner for more accessible travel

Expedia Group is joining forces with Wheel the World to help make travel more accessible to people with disabilities.

Expedia Group will serve as the exclusive partner to power the lodging supply maintained by Wheel the World, a platform for people with disabilities to book accessible travel. Wheel the World customers will have access to Expedia Group’s directly sourced hotel inventory with the ability to filter properties by their accessibility needs and preferences through that company’s application programming interface (API) technology.

Wheel the World will further complement Expedia Group’s content with an added layer of accessibility data, including but not limited to bed height, room width and specific shower characteristics.

“We are proud to partner with Wheel the World on a solution that addresses the need for seamless, end-to-end travel experiences for travelers with disabilities,” said Mindy Rehse, Expedia Group’s vice president of commercial partnerships. “This partnership will empower travelers looking for detailed and robust accessibility information and is another step in Expedia Group’s commitment to creating a more accessible and inclusive future for all travelers.”

Wheel the World, a PhocusWire Hot 25 Startup for 2022, provides travel to destinations in North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. It first launched Expedia Group’s Rapid API in the U.S. and is gradually expanding to other markets globally.

“At Wheel the World, our purpose is to make travel accessible for people with disabilities, and we know that we need to collaborate with other companies to make it happen,” said CEO and co-founder, Alvaro Silberstein. “Together we can complement our detailed accessibility data and customer experience to guarantee the accessible room with the extensive supply, content and connectivity of Expedia Group.”

The San Francisco-based company won the first Phocuswright/WebinTravel Global Startup Pitch in 2022 and also received the People’s Choice award. It closed a $6 million funding round this month and raised $2 million in a 2021 seed round. Wheel the World also was one of 12 startups named last year to Expedia Group’s inaugural Open World Accelerator. The company explained its business strategy in a 2019 PhocusWire Startup Stage Q&A and pitched at The Phocuswright Conference in 2021.