John McInerney is a retired corporate executive who has spent the last several years supporting non-profit organizations whose mission is to improve the independence of individuals with visual impairments. John served as the interim President and CEO of the Pennsylvania Association for the Blind (PAB) for two years and serves on the Board of Directors for Blind and Vision Rehabilitation Services (BVRS) of Pittsburgh and The Support Sight Foundation whose national mission is to provide patient education and access to low vision resources to help individuals whose lives are severely impacted by Macular Degeneration. John retired from the Westinghouse Electric Company in 2015 after a successful career in the commercial nuclear power industry.
John has a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering, both from the University of Notre Dame and holds a Six Sigma greenbelt. John has retinitis pigmentosa and went through the Personal Adjustment to Blindness Training (PABT) Program at BVRS in his early 40s which provided him with the skills needed to adjust to blindness and the tools to continue his successful corporate career.
John’s life experiences have provided him with the continuing opportunity as part of the Pittsburgh Low Vision Research Collaborative to advocate to help improve the lives of those dealing with vision loss. Having lost his functional vision, he clearly understands the needs and challenges that visually impaired individuals are faced with as they move through different phases of their lives. Whether it is being a student trying to learn without vision, a young adult struggling to enter the workforce, or a mature adult trying to cope with a degenerative eye condition, he can relate firsthand to their struggles and challenges, both from a physical and psychological perspective.