Johannes Mairhofer – That's how he rolls

02.05.2019

Johannes Mairhofer loves his professional freedom. As the initiator of www.spekabled.com he is on the road a lot. But when he's not trying to bring more diversity to German-speaking stages, he's not bored. The photographer, author, speaker and consultant is almost always busy. Why it was a fictitious character who gave him his freedom, he tells us at REHACARE.com.

Photo: Johannes Mairhofer; Copyright: Marcus Vetter

Name: Johannes Mairhofer
Age: 36
City: currently still Munich but hopefully soon Hamburg, Germany
Occupation: Versatile traveling in Germany as photographer / consultant / author / speaker
(Relation to the topic) Impairment: Initiator of www.speakabled.com – a platform for disabled speakers for more versatility on stages in Germany, Austria and Switzerland

What makes you laugh?

Johannes Mairhofer: Sarcasm, Family Guy, often also the "Neo Magazin Royale" (German Late Night Show; editor's note) or their reports.

What have you always been wanting to do and why have you never done this so far?

Johannes Mairhofer: In principle, I am relatively fearless and try out most of the things I want to try. However, with age comes a certain "need for security". Since I am active beside the versatile free professional activities also again and again honorary, or because I am implementing projects like speakabled.com, which brings no (financial) profit yet, I have a part-time job in Munich at present, which provides me a basic income and secures this versatility and/or makes possible.

Back to the initial question: I am currently looking for such a basic income in Hamburg. If something has changed here, nothing stands in the way of a move.

Which person has influenced you most? And why?

Johannes Mairhofer: Tyler Durden (character in Fight Club; editor's note). Despite literary exaggeration, he has an interesting view of the world and society. And I've often been influenced by it. Above all, he helped me to quit my secure job in 2010, amongst other things.

You have the chance to become the Commissioner for the Disabled. What would you do first?

Johannes Mairhofer: Work for the unconditional basic income. For all.

Gif animation: REHACARE 2026 from 23 to 26 September 2026 in Düsseldorf/Germany, linked to "More information about the Trade Fair"

Photo: Johannes Mairhofer on the back of a white horse; Copyright: Julia Mairhofer

As a speaker Johannes Mairhofer travels all around Germany – but not on horseback. But he also earns his living as a photographer and author. Partly at least, because the man from Munich is also on the road a lot in an honorary capacity.

What is especially near and dear to you?

Johannes Mairhofer: Freedom, self-determination and a fair co-existence.

I would like to...

Johannes Mairhofer: ...be a bird for a day.

Which question would you like answered the most?

Johannes Mairhofer: Why do people make phone calls in the subway instead of using text-based communication? This is particularly annoying when it comes to small talk.

What I finally want to say...

Johannes Mairhofer: #lifehack: don't always take things so seriously. Neither yourself, nor the others. Helps immensely.

Grafik: So tickt; Copyright: beta-web/Schmitz

What makes other people actually happy in life? If you ever wondered, you have come to the right place. In regular intervals REHACARE.com asks a varity of people always the same questions. What results from that? Read for yourself!

Johannes Mairhofer – That's how he rolls

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