Missier jilqa' n-nies fi spazju iktar aċċessibbli

They got the diagnosis when their son Harri was 9 months old: cerebral palsy. Alpesh and his wife soon found themselves buying a wheelchair and carefully retrofitting their London home to make it more accessible for him.

Fast forward a decade and Harri still faces physical obstacles, from his school’s front door to the large step in front of local barbershops. Fortunately both their London home and a vacation house they bought in the Norfolk countryside two hours away serve as more accessible havens for his needs.

In fact, wanting to help make travel more accessible motivated Alpesh to try hosting a few years ago. They share their second home when they’re not using it, which in turn helps them afford to maintain it.

As a landlord and father of three, Alpesh wasn’t sure he had time to add hosting to his already full schedule. But he wanted others to be able to enjoy his tranquil getaway.

Alpesh hadn’t tried Airbnb as a guest or a Host, but trusted he’d learn as he went. “It's quite nice to share a space with accessibility features on Airbnb—what I call our little hidden treasure. We absolutely love it there, and we've made it all-level access, so we thought, why not share it with other people?”

Alpesh found it straightforward to list his four-bedroom bungalow and prepare for his first guests—plus a neighbor helps with cleanings and check-ins, minimizing the time he spends per booking.

Alpesh’s single-story Norfolk home includes a range of accessibility features: well-lit step-free access into and throughout the space, accessible vehicle parking, a medical bed with a wipe-clean mattress, and a commode and mobile hoist.

Alpesh especially loves that their garden is a space he can enjoy with Harri, and that it accommodates a wider range of guests too. A smooth and winding step-free path connects the kitchen to a six-person hot tub and a deck with sweeping countryside views.

“The views from the garden are absolutely amazing,” Alpesh says. “When I go up there before guests, I spend most of the time in the garden.”

Alpesh has learned that accessibility features help make travel possible for more people—and it just makes sense to host their home when they’re away.

“Because I'm not able to share it with my family all the time, I like being able to share it with other people,” Alpesh says. “I get the same sort of satisfaction as my family being there.”

He plans to use hosting as a means to afford another countryside home with accessibility features that suit Harri’s needs. They might even move there permanently.

“That's the next idea,” Alpesh says. “We're going to try and find somewhere, maybe a bit of land and maybe a big warehouse, and renovate it—and maybe host it on Airbnb until I can convince my family to move out of London.”