The Accessibility Lab

A Real-World Testing Ground for Accessible hospitality Solutions

The Accessibility Lab is an innovative collaboration between The Schoolhouse Hotel, TravelAbility, and Samaritan Partners, combining expertise in hospitality, accessibility innovation, and impact investing. This pioneering initiative creates a first-of-its-kind, real-world testing environment where startups developing inclusive products, services, and technologies can pilot their solutions in an operational setting.

By leveraging the strengths of these partners, The Lab provides a practical framework for refining accessibility solutions under real-world conditions. This ensures innovations are functional, scalable, and aligned with industry and community needs, supporting their long-term adoption within the hospitality sector. Participants will have the opportunity to test, refine, and implement their innovations while receiving mentorship, industry exposure, and direct feedback from hospitality operators, guests, and accessibility experts.

A Movement for Inclusive Hospitality

The Accessibility Lab is more than a program—it’s a movement toward making hospitality more inclusive. By bridging the gap between innovative startups and real-world implementation, The Lab ensures that accessibility is a fundamental pillar of hospitality design and experience.

The Partnership

  • The Schoolhouse Hotel

    Located in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, The Schoolhouse Hotel is the world’s first fully accessible boutique hotel. Housed in a repurposed 1912 high school, it features 30 accessible guest rooms, a 100+ seat restaurant, a 385-person ballroom, and a rooftop bar with views of the Allegheny Mountains. The hotel offers startups a fully operational setting to test innovations in inclusive hospitality. Expansion plans include an 85-room wing, spa, micro-distillery, and retail space. The Schoolhouse Hotel is part of the Wyndham Hotels’ Trademark portfolio.

  • TravelAbility

    A leader in accessible tourism, TravelAbility ensures that solutions developed within The Lab align with the real-world needs of travelers with disabilities and the hospitality sector. They help to bridge the gap between accessibility and industry adoption and connecting innovative ideas with market implementation. In addition, through its annual InnovateAble event, which features 40+ accessibility-focused startups, TravelAbility also supplies a pipeline of cutting-edge ideas ready for testing and implementation.

  • Samaritan Partners

    As a social impact venture fund, Samaritan Partners invests in early-stage for-profit companies serving the disability community. A portion of their portfolio focuses on assistive technology for travelers with disabilities. They provide mentorship, an extensive network, and funding for promising innovations showcased at The Schoolhouse Hotel.

How to Get Involved

The Accessibility Lab is open to early-stage companies developing assistive products and services for the disability and aging communities within the hospitality sector. To apply, please complete for the form below.

If you are a corporate or civic organization interested in partnering, attending demo day events, or visiting The Schoolhouse Hotel, please use the form below to share your information.