Michele Erwin
As a parent of child who uses a wheelchair, Michele became very aware how difficult and, in some cases, dangerous for wheelchair users to travel by airplane. Based her firsthand experience Michele created All Wheels Up. All Wheels Up is the only organization in the world funding the research needed for a wheelchair spot on airplanes. Taking on this platform, Michele is known as a “disrupter of the aviation industry”. She has initiated a new area of study at Universities and advanced congressional and industry conversation regarding the future of accessible air travel and plane design. Michele worked to outline the path forward from moving past advocacy efforts to funding research for a wheelchair spot on airplanes as well as creating programs to help individual passengers with disabilities stay safe during today’s standards until true accessible air travel is possible. Michele’s work made it possible for the 2018 FAA re-authorization act to be signed by President Trump
