Hello again; I hope my conversation with Áine got your week off to a great start.

For day two of my five posts in five days to honor Mobility Matters 2022

Today you will hear my conversation with Mike May.

Mike is Chief Evangelist for Good Maps, Inc., a pedestrian navigation company with an emphasis on accessible navigation for people who are blind or visually impaired including indoor navigation.

We talked about the progress that has been made in technology that allows people with disabilities, especially the visually impaired, to navigate the world around us.

He shared how technology are allowing the blind to not only know what bus they are getting on or how to get to a given store in a mall; but are now able to hear about all the other information that a sighted person receives along their rout.

I didn't think of it at the time, but I wish I had asked him if not knowing all that other info is necessarily a bad thing. :)

He explained the challenges of mapping internal locations like airports, train stations, office buildings, and those ever-growing box stores.

Since you can't piggy back off of GPS in an indoor space, they have had to come up with a variety of solutions.

They now have some great low-cost options for mapping locations. So, it's really a matter of persuading businesses, nonprofits, colleges & universities, and government offices to adopt the technology and invest in having the mapping done.

So, we talked about how the blind, visually impaired, and even sighted people can advocate for the implementation of this technology.

He has a way of making the subject come alive. Mostly by speaking more of the potential for inclusion nd interaction with others.

Just imagine being able to navigate your local baseball, football, or soccer stadium. Or how about having a few extra minutes in the airport because you can direct yourself straight to where you need to be.

And we talked about how like GPS this mapping could make the lives of sighted people so much more enjoyable s well.

Finally in honor of my friend Emily Trepanier a future Paralympic gold medalist in blind downhill snowboard racing, I had to ask him about his experiences as a blind downhill skier. Notably, how do you set a world speed record in the sport.

Full disclosure, I didn't know Mike was famous before I sat down to talk with him. Thankfully, I have ways of dealing with those feelings now.

And he finished by talking about teamwork, inclusion, and the dignity that sports can bring to people with disabilities.

You are going to love Mike and learn a lot about the lives of people with disabilities and how you can help make them better.

Now On To The Show

About Mike

Mike May is Chief Evangelist for Good Maps, Inc., a pedestrian navigation company with an emphasis on accessible navigation for people who are blind or visually impaired including indoor navigation. He was previously Executive Director of the Workforce Innovation Center at Envision in Wichita Kansas, CEO of the Lighthouse for the Blind in Seattle and CEO/Founder of Sendero Group, makers of accessible navigation products.

He has been a pioneer in new product and business development since 1980. He worked for the Central Intelligence Agency as a Political Risk Analyst, for the Bank of California in automating wire transfers and cash machines and for TRW starting a new business area. Mike’s start-up ventures have included developing the world’s first and only Laser Turntable, inventing a portable heating cushion for sports and medical applications and starting 2 companies in adaptive technology.

He has a Masters’ degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Coker College, SC.

He has met five Presidents including President Obama and several of his cabinet members to discuss national initiatives on adaptive technology.