Google Maps engineer left paralyzed realized the app didn't work for wheelchair users — so he rebuilt it

Sasha Blair-Goldensohn spent years walking the same route through Central Park on his way to work without ever needing to think about how accessible the city really was. That changed in 2009, when a rotting tree branch weighing nearly 100 pounds fell directly onto his head, leaving him with a fractured skull, a damaged spinal cord, and a life permanently altered. He was 33 at the time, a father of two and an engineer at Google Maps, and he wouldn't have survived if it weren't for a doctor passing by. Months passed before he regained consciousness, and over a year went by before he was ready to get back to his job, this time as a wheelchair user.

When he eventually returned to his role at Google, Blair-Goldensohn began to see the product he’d helped build in a very different light. "This thing that I'd been working on forever, Google Maps, what so many people use to get around, it didn't work for me," he said, adding, "If I wanted to go to meet up at a cafe, I could find out the hours, beautiful pictures of the food, I couldn't find out if I could get in the door." He realized that accessibility was missing because the people affected by those gaps hadn’t been heard. That’s when he started working to change that, from inside the company.

His efforts have since helped shape how millions of people experience Google Maps. Accessibility details, such as whether a building has a step-free entrance or an accessible restroom, can now be added by users and displayed alongside standard information like hours and prices. A small wheelchair symbol flags locations that meet these criteria. Blair-Goldensohn often contributes firsthand, checking his regular stops, updating entries, and submitting confirmations when he notices something missing. "When you open to a place, you can see a little tiny wheelchair icon where the hours and average prices are found," he explained in an interview with Wbur.

He added, "That tells me I can get in the door — no stairs, it's accessible. But then you can find out if there is parking for someone who travels in a wheelchair van. But also, how's the bathroom?" But even with digital tools in place, the challenges of physical infrastructure remain. In a 2023 study published in Preventing Chronic Disease, researchers found that even basic elements like paved paths, curb cuts, accessible parking, and restroom signage were often missing or incomplete. Blair-Goldensohn also learned that parts of his commute, like taking the subway or elevators, were no longer available to him. That realization prompted him to take legal action. "I joined in protests at different subway stops with the Elevator Action Group and became a plaintiff in the Disability Rights Advocates lawsuit," he said.

In 2023, the MTA committed to ensuring that at least 95% of its subway stations would be accessible by 2055. A second case, pushing for better maintenance of existing elevators, is still ongoing. Cost remains a frequent point of resistance when it comes to accessible infrastructure, to which he says, "We believe the price will come down," he said, adding, "And I would say to people who ask about the cost... someday you will need one." Although accessibility became central to his work after his injury, the community he now champions was always there. He said in a Google interview that he believes change is already happening, adding, "When you build things to protect and enable the most vulnerable, it helps a lot more."