There’s a big difference between empathy and sympathy in Dan Parker’s world. 

Parker, in 2012, was one of the iconic outlaw Pro Modified doorslammer racers tearing up the tracks around the Georgia and Alabama region when on March 31 of that year, he lost control of his nitrous-injected Corvette and took a tumble in the Alabama International Raceway shutdown area.

When safety crews arrived on the scene, a battered Parker was unconscious. He was extracted from the mangled car, and when the Medivac helicopter was grounded due to bad weather in the area, he took a 45-minute ride to the treatment center at the University of Alabama - Birmingham. 

Parker remained in a medically-induced coma for 13 days, and as he began to come out of it, he noticed his eyesight slowly diminishing. The emergence from the coma took almost two days to complete. This was a challenging process for Parker, who quickly points out he’s never drunk a beer or ingested illegal drugs in his lifetime.

“My family noticed as I was starting to come out of the coma that my pupils weren’t really changing,” explained Parker. “At first, they believed it was the medicine. The more I came to it became evident I had lost my eyesight.”

Parker was told initially that his optic nerve had been damaged. Further tests by an ophthalmologist revealed the nerve had not been damaged, holding out a slim hope the blindness could eventually be reversed.

Eleven years later, Parker is very much living life in his new normal. It’s a normal where sounds and touch lead him instead of his eyes, which never worked again. 

Parker now finds himself officially an advocate for the blind. 

Within months of his catastrophic accident, Parker was back working in his machine shop and adjusting to working with feel instead of sight. He became as mobile as a blinded person could be.

 

Then, ten years to the date of his tragic accident, Parker wheeled a C6 Corvette to a Guinness World Record 211.043 pass on the Bonneville Salt Flats. It’s the fastest a legally blind person has ever piloted a motorized vehicle. 

Parker, a forward thinker, is already seeking the next chapter in his saga.

His actions, up to this point, have done all the talking for him. But now, it’s time for him to talk about it all.  

Parker will hold his first “Acceleration through Accessibility“ summit at the Autobahn Country Club in Joliet, Ill., on October 20 to share his message of overcoming and how accessibility has been a major part of every milestone in his life since losing his sight.

“This is my new purpose, to become a professional speaker and to share my story,” Parker said. “Overcoming and educating society and corporations regarding accessibility is very important. Accessibility creates a successful world for the blind, either on the racetrack or on the job site. 

“I race to demonstrate what people with disabilities can do, raise expectations, and break barriers in mobility. I am proud to have shown that a blind person can operate a vehicle safely, even at 200 miles per hour.”  

Parker’s actions, he believes, speak louder than any words he can deliver.

“I race with no human assistance, but I appreciate the support from the National Federation of the Blind and others to build awareness of ways we can increase accessibility for people,” Parker explained. 

As Parker sees it, “An accessible world creates a more successful world. People with disabilities bring diverse perspectives, contributing to new ideas and innovations. I appreciate the support of CloudEQ, Datavail, and Protiviti as gold sponsors for the upcoming event, and I look forward to sponsorships from other organizations and individuals.”  

And while some might flinch at the notion of public speaking, Parker takes the challenge in stride. His motto says it all.

“You can make excuses, or you can make it happen,” Parker said.