PHOTO: © ACCESSIBLEGO
People with disabilities travel less often than those without, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. With about one in six people worldwide living with a disability, travel brands and destinations must prioritize accessible attractions and services. A growing selection of apps is helping to close the gap by making planning and navigating trips easier for travelers with diverse needs.
accessibleGO
accessibleGO positions itself as a leading U.S. travel platform focused on travelers with disabilities. The site lets users search and book hotels, rental cars, flights and specialized equipment filtered by accessibility features. After a reservation is made, accessibleGO follows up directly with the property or service provider to confirm the accessibility requests, helping reduce miscommunication and last‑minute surprises. The platform also offers city guides and a community forum where travelers can share tips, ask questions and learn from others’ experiences.
Be My Eyes
Be My Eyes supports people with low vision or blindness by connecting them with sighted volunteers and company representatives through live video calls. The app has a global volunteer network that assists in more than 180 languages, allowing users to request real‑time visual help for tasks such as reading labels, navigating unfamiliar spaces or identifying objects. In addition to live calls, Be My Eyes includes an AI option that can describe photos on demand, offering another quick way to get visual information.
Wheelmap
Wheelmap helps wheelchair users locate and evaluate the accessibility of public places around the world. The app relies on user contributions to mark locations with three color codes: green for fully wheelchair accessible, orange for partially accessible, and red for not accessible. Users can search for venues, add new places to the map and update existing entries, making the database more accurate over time. Wheelmap is available in multiple languages, which helps expand its usefulness to an international audience.
These apps represent a portion of the tools available to make travel more inclusive. Other widely used solutions assist with medication reminders, text‑to‑speech reading, navigation and other practical needs. Together, they give travelers with disabilities greater independence, confidence and opportunity to explore the world.