Global hospitality company OYO announced on Tuesday, December 26, that it will have a major focus on inclusivity in 2024. This initiative aims to provide equitable access to quality accommodations for differently-abled individuals, with a particular emphasis on wheelchair-friendly infrastructure.
As part of this commitment, OYO has partnered with prominent events supporting differently-abled talent across India, including the
Khelo India Para Games, Para Kabaddi Impact Tournament, and Divya Kala Mela. The company is urging its partner hotels to ensure wheelchair-friendly amenities such as ramps and wider doorways.
OYO is currently providing specialised and accessible accommodation for over 150 differently-abled participants in the ongoing Divya Kala Mela across various cities in India, the company said in a statement.
It has identified and mapped more than 200 hotels based on specific accessibility criteria in cities such as Varanasi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Patna, Surat, Nagpur,
Ahmedabad, and Shimla, OYO informed.
Earlier this year, OYO partnered with Khelo India Para Games 2023 in Delhi, providing accommodation to over 1500 participants across 45 hotels. OYO's role extended beyond accommodation to event management, including catering and coordination, with dedicated teams offering round-the-clock assistance, it said in the statement.
In addition to these events, OYO is collaborating with organisations like the Wheeling Happiness Foundation to extend support to differently-abled sportspersons. This includes providing accommodation for participants in the national-level tournament ‘Para Kabaddi Impact 2023’ held in Gurgaon.
Varun Jain, Chief Operating Officer of OYO, expressed enthusiasm for the initiative, stating, "At OYO, we believe in creating a world where everyone feels welcome. Through its extensive network of hotels, OYO aims to create a more inclusive environment for all guests, ensuring that individuals with disabilities have access to comfortable and convenient accommodations across India."
