Carlos Serván

Carlos R. Serván is a passionate, motivational speaker, author, and international disability rights advocate, with a fascinating life story. Born and raised in Lima, Peru, Carlos immigrated to the United States in the late 1980s, shortly after losing his vision and right hand in a grenade explosion. At that time, he was a cadet at the police detective academy, training in anti-terrorism. Serván is internationally respected and beloved in his homeland of Peru where he was honored in 2017 as Person of the Year. His first autobiography, Volver a Correr (Began to Run Again), published in 2017, details his arduous journey to rebuild his life after a tragic accident. This book was the second-best seller in the memoir category at the International Book Fair in Lima. In 2020, he was honored by the National Rehabilitation Association with the E. B. Whitten Silver Medallion — a leadership award for his life-long dedication in improving the life of people with disabilities.

Shortly after immigrating, Carlos met like-minded friends through the National Federation of the Blind (NFB). Recognizing Serván’s passion for independence, his friends mentored him and helped open doors. In 1989, Carlos had the good fortune to meet a blind executive — an internationally respected disability advocate. Dr. Frederick Schroeder also happened to be born in Peru. This began a transformational mentoring experience which continued even after Dr. Schroeder was appointed the Commissioner of the US Rehabilitation Services Administration and elected President of the World Blind Union.

After completing rigorous blindness training, Serván entered college and earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and law degrees from the University of New Mexico. While studying, Carlos also mentored blind and visually impaired students throughout the country, and, in 1992, he won the top NFB Ezra Davis Memorial scholarship. He served as President of the National Association of Blind Students (NABS). Carlos Serván continues as a long-time leader in the National Federation of the Blind, having also served on the organization’s national board and as President of the Nebraska affiliate.

Carlos is presently the Executive Director of the Nebraska Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired. He is on the executive committee of the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind (NCSAB). He is active with the National Rehabilitation Association (NRA) and the National Council of State Administrators for Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR).

Carlos Serván is a devoted husband and father who resides in Lincoln, Nebraska, with his wife Catalina. He relishes storytelling, as well as a good joke. Devoted to fitness, he continues his youthful passion of running.