She was told accessible travel didn’t exist, so she built it herself at 60

When most people hit 60, they’re thinking about slowing down, planning retirement, maybe traveling a bit more. Lorraine Woodward had something else in mind: changing the entire global short-term rental industry.

Woodward, who has lived with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy her entire life, knows better than anyone how inaccessible everyday experiences can be — especially travel. For decades, she, her husband and her two sons (both of whom also have muscular dystrophy) struggled to take even the simplest family vacation. It wasn’t just the logistics; it was the emotional weight of knowing that something as universal as “going to the beach” could feel out of reach. But at 60, Woodward decided she was done accepting that reality. She wasn’t “past her prime.” She was just getting started.

Today, she is the founder and force behind Becoming rentABLE, an organization redefining what accessible travel looks like — and she’s doing it with the momentum of a woman who knows she’s exactly where she’s meant to be.

A Life Shaped by Purpose

Woodward grew up immersed in the Muscular Dystrophy Association community — running backyard carnivals, volunteering at telethons, and even traveling with Jerry Lewis during high school to help raise awareness. She never saw disability as something that defined her. It was simply the life she lived.

“I don’t miss a lot,” she told Nifty 50+. “I’ve never climbed steps. I’ve never gotten off the floor. This is just how we live.”

But when her own children reached adulthood, she realized something troubling: accessible travel wasn’t any easier for them than it had been for her decades earlier. Family vacations were logistically exhausting. Renting a beach house — something she’d always dreamed of doing — felt nearly impossible.

So, she built one.

Literally.

Woodward designed and constructed an accessible beach home in North Carolina that could accommodate her whole family with dignity, ease, and joy. It was so thoughtfully planned that it began attracting renters from across the country. Families traveled from Canada, California, Texas — even if it meant two-and-a-half days on the road — because they had never found a rental that met their needs.

The accessible beachhouse that Woodward built for her family

The accessible beach house that Lorraine Woodward built for her family and started her movement

Those stories lit a fire in Woodward.

“Why is this so hard?” she kept asking. “Why should a family wait 28 years to take a vacation?”

The answer was clear: the industry wasn’t built for them.

Once again, she decided she would build the solution. This time she wasn’t building a house, but a business and a global movement.

Starting a Global Movement at 60

In 2021, Woodward launched Becoming rentABLE with a simple mission: make accessible short-term rentals not the exception — but the expectation.

What started as an idea for a television show quickly transformed into something bigger. A nationwide survey revealed massive gaps in accessibility, awareness and education. People weren’t just lacking options; they were lacking information.

“Accessibility isn’t one-size-fits-all,” she explained. For one traveler, a roll-in shower is essential. For another, wide doorways. For someone else, proper lighting, low sensory environments or a step-free entrance.

Woodward created a system of 36 mobility-related accessibility filters, with cognitive, hearing, and vision certifications rolling out in stages. Becoming rentABLE now offers more accessible rentals than Airbnb and VRBO combined — an extraordinary feat for a startup initially powered by 21 unpaid volunteers driven solely by belief in the mission. And then came the milestone that changed everything.

A Historic Partnership With Expedia Group

In 2025, Becoming rentABLE and Expedia Group officially joined forces — marking the first time a global short-term rental platform expanded accessibility filters beyond wheelchair access to include needs for walkers, crutches, canes, hearing and vision. This collaboration wasn’t just a corporate win. It was a cultural turning point.

Expedia’s new initiative includes:

Accessibility education for hosts
Authentic imagery featuring real disability experiences
An infographic of 50+ accessibility features found in short-term rental properties
Updated filters that reflect true mobility and sensory needs

As Woodward puts it, “You can’t change what people don’t understand.” And thanks to this partnership, understanding is spreading fast.

The Woman Behind the Movement

Now 61, Woodward radiates the energy of someone who knows she is living her purpose.

“I feel blessed,” she said. “Everything I’ve ever done has culminated into this business.”

When I asked her where sees herself in 10 years, her answer made me smile:

“Enjoying vacations because of the work we’ve done.”

Lorraine Woodward

And honestly? She will. Millions of others will, too. Because Lorraine isn’t just changing the travel industry. She’s changing what’s possible after 50. She is proving that purpose, passion and impact don’t fade with age. They sharpen. And she is a reminder that you’re never “too old” to make the world more accessible. You’re exactly the right age to lead the way. This isn’t a retirement project; this is a revolution.

National Entrepreneurship Month

This November, during National Entrepreneurship Month, we celebrate women like Lorraine Woodward. Her work reminds us that reinvention is always within reach. The world still needs your ideas, your voice, your brilliance — and you’re never too old to change the world.