Mike May, New Advisory Board Member, Comes Crashing Through

Mike May, New Advisory Board Member, Comes Crashing Through

Mike May broke world records in downhill skiing, joined the CIA and has been a successful entrepreneur for decades. As if that weren’t enough to make him a compelling hero for a book about his life as an adaptability advocate, there’s more. May, who was blinded by a chemical explosion at age 3, is one of a handful of adults offered the chance to have a  revolutionary stem cell transplant surgery to  restore his vision. At the time, 1999, there were fewer than 20 cases, but he went on to have the risky surgery and is now recognized on a national level as a champion for adaptive technology and sports. 

Today he is the chief evangelist for Access Explorer, a navigation company. 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 was a member of the White House delegation to the 2010 Paralympics and has been inducted into the U.S. Association of the Blind Hall of Fame. The book on his adventures is written by Robert Kurston and titled Crashing Through (it will also be turned in to a film.) You can meet Mike May and learn more about his story at TravelAbility Summit on November 11-13 in San Francisco. We are also pleased to welcome May to the Advisory Board this month. “As a technology entrepreneur, disability advocate and fearless leader of change in the travel industry, Mike brings a rare combination of skills to the Summit,” said Jake Steinman, founder of TravelAbility Summit. “I knew as soon as we spoke that he would be a strong advocate and collaborator for the blind along with the outstanding travel experts we will have at the Summit.”