Wheel the World presents adventures for all from Patagonia to Maui
Wheel the World, an accessible travel startup backed by one of the largest e-commerce companies in the world, Booking.com, is inspiring people with disabilities to travel and experience the world without limits. A one-stop shop for travelers with disabilities, from children to seniors, Wheel the World offers accessible tours and experiences, including accommodations and transportation, by partnering with curated local tour operators who are trained and certified Wheel the World team members. With more than one billion people worldwide living with disabilities, the company empowers them, their families and friends to visit dozens of destinations which were never accessible before.
Co-founded by two friends, one who has a physical disability, Wheel the World is on a mission to become the go-to resource for global travel for people with disabilities and their families to go anywhere they desire. The company is building partnerships with as many travel and tour operators as possible to offer one-of-a-kind, inclusive experiences to places all over the world.
Wheel the World researches the exciting destinations, identifies necessary accessibility requirements and equipment, and trains tour operators to develop inclusive trips designed to accommodate people with disabilities, their families and friends. From multi-day trips with outdoor activities, such as hiking, scuba diving and kayaking, to single day activities like ziplining in Costa Rica and handbiking across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco or through Central Park in New York, Wheel the World currently offers more than 30 travel destinations through its platform, including accommodations, activities and transportation. Destinations include such locations as Patagonia, Maui, Easter Island, Machu Picchu, Santiago, Mexico, and Costa Rica.
The company originated from the personal experience of Álvaro Silberstein, Wheel the World CEO and Co-founder. Álvaro and his co-founder Camilo Navarro, both from Chile, have been friends since elementary school, sharing a love for adventure. At age 18 Álvaro was in a terrible car accident that left him with quadriplegia, unable to walk or move his fingers, and confined from then on to life in a wheelchair. Fast forward a few years, Camilo had just returned from a trip to Patagonia and was determined to help his best friend join him during his next adventure. They started to do research and connect with travel companies to discover no one had ever traveled to Patagonia’s Torres del Paine National Park via wheelchair. They decided to take on the challenge and organized the first expedition to complete the W Circuit in Patagonia with a hiking wheelchair. From there, the inspiration for Wheel the World was born.
“We truly believe adventure is for all and that’s why we are committed to creating inclusive tourism and eliminate the barriers that keep people from traveling,” said Álvaro. “While people might not think they have the opportunity to travel like this, we believe we can help everyone enjoy our amazing world without limits. We started promoting trips to isolated places like our original trip to Patagonia. However, we realized that people with disabilities still struggle to find even more traditional travel experiences that are designed to be accessible. So we expanded to all types of travel including cultural, leisure, vacation and city explorations.”
“Having as customers a child with cerebral palsy and their family, or a senior with difficulty walking, and making it possible for them to experience the natural wonders of the world -- that is what drives us,” continued Wheel the World co-founder Camilo Navarro. “The experience of overcoming challenges, sharing adventures and getting to understand one another on a deeper level while taking in the breathtaking beauty around us is priceless. We are passionate about what we do and committed to offering the best travel experiences on the planet, whatever obstacles a person may have, wherever they want to go.”
To learn more about Wheel the World, visit www.gowheeltheworld.com.