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
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:06:34 — 22.9MB) | Embed
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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. He was a member of the White House delegation to the 2010 Paralympics and has been inducted into the US Association of the Blind Hall of Fame for his skiing exploits including the downhill speed skiing record for a totally blind person of 65 MPH. He is the subject of the best selling book Crashing Through by, Robert Kurson with a movie in the works.
Connect With Mike
Good Maps: http://www.GoodMaps.com
Crashing Through: http://www.CrashingThrough.com
Personal Website: http://www.MikeMay.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/GoodMapsA11Y
Linked in: www.linkedin.com/company/goodmaps
Twitter: www.twitter.com/GoodMaps_A11Y
YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCiSByZ1z6oWVP8wJ_-4a3Mg
Mike is a really great guy to talk to. He is knowledgeable of and passionate about making the lives of people with disabilities better through technology.
I hope you will check out his story and visit his company.
Please consider how you may be able to help expand the implementation of the technology by speaking with the owners or managers of properties in your area.
I truly enjoyed talking with him, and you are going to be entertained as well as educated by our conversation.
So, I hope you help me thank Mike by listening, rating, reviewing, and sharing. And by telling him directly how much you enjoyed our talk.
What I said about Mike holds true for this whole conference.
You are going to hear from and interact with so many talented passionate people who will entertain while educating and motivating you.
Here is the link again. You still have two days to sign up for it.
https://sites.google.com/pdx.edu/mobilitymatters2022
I really appreciate all the encouragement I have received online about the idea of doing these five shows in five days.
Like I said it’s challenging and scary even though most of the actual conversations were recorded in advance.
But I firmly believe sharing my concerns and even fears with y’all is one of the most valuable things I can do to help you overcome your excuses.
As they say courage is being nervous or being afraid and doing it anyway.
Still, I couldn’t do it without you. So thanks again for being here in my corner.
Take care out there, Max
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