Hello MWABA,

Join us for Goalball, Tandem Biking, Hiking, and more!

Goalball

· Come to Goalball on October 25th from 10 AM to 1 PM at 1480 Girard St. NW, DC.

Tandem Biking

· Sign up here by Tuesday at 8 p.m. for the Eastern Market ride on Thursday night and for the Bethesda ride on Friday night: https://forms.gle/a3fC438hzv9aH8m89 We’d like pairs to start the rides a little earlier (around 5:30 or 5:45), but feel free to sign up if you can’t ride until 6.

November Hike

· Join us for our next hike on Sunday, November 2nd at 10 a.m. We’ll meet at Peirce Mill in Rock Creek Park, 2401 Tilden St. NW, DC. The hike will be about 3 miles and we might see horses! Sign up here: Hiking Sign-Up Sheet

Stories from the Blind Bird-a-Thon

· Listen to Qudsiya and other Blind Bird-a-Thon organizers and participants at a virtual event on October 23rd at 7 p.m. as part of Birdability week. Register here: Meeting Registration – Zoom More information about this event and the Birdability week virtual events: Birdability Week — Birdability

Other Activities

· The Challenged Athletes Foundation 2026 Grant Application is open, and the deadline is November 14th. Individuals can apply for grants for equipment, training, and competition. Grants Archive – Challenged Athletes Foundation

· Did you know? Your yoga teacher is also a registered dietitian! Jennifer Hanft, MS, RD, offers one-on-one nutrition counseling and accepts insurance; most clients enjoy full coverage with no out-of-pocket cost. With over fifteen years of experience as a Registered Dietitian, Jennifer specializes in pediatric and family nutrition, women’s health, and geriatric nutrition. She is passionate about helping clients make sustainable choices that support overall well-being and longevity. Jennifer tailors her approach to each individual, creating balanced, personalized strategies to meet unique health needs. Learn more at Jennifer.

· Research Study: Street designs continue to evolve resulting in new challenges for blind pedestrians. Accessible Design for the Blind, working with Kittelson & Associates, is looking for volunteers who are blind to participate in a study on the accessibility of bus boarding islands in the Washington, DC, area. We want to better understand the experience and challenges of people who have little or no vision when crossing bicycle lanes to get to or from buses at bus boarding islands. Bus boarding islands are separated from the sidewalk by bicycle lanes that must be crossed to board the bus or to reach the sidewalk when exiting the bus. These islands can be of various designs, and they may have a sizeable area where one can wait for the bus, or they may have limited or no width, in which case passengers board the bus from the edge of the bike lane. These bus boarding islands let people riding bicycles use a bicycle lane that passes buses on the side away from the street, so they don’t have to wait behind buses or go around them by moving into the traffic on the left side of the bus. The boarding islands reduce conflicts between bicyclists and buses and other traffic, but they introduce potential conflicts between bicyclists and pedestrians. These conflicts occur because the bus boarding islands require passengers to cross the bike lane when traveling to or from where you board the bus.

· The study is looking for experienced travelers who are comfortable using a long cane, who regularly travel independently outdoors, have an inability to see shapes or objects such as pavement markings such as crosswalks, signs, or vehicles including bicycles AND who would be willing to participate in the research. If you decide to take part in the study, you will be asked to do several trials in which you will begin on the sidewalk or bus island, need to locate the crossing location for the bike lane, and cross the bike lane. For some of the crossings, there will be additional assistive features present at the crossing. There will be a certified orientation and mobility (O&M) specialist with you as you travel. Compensation is $75, and travel costs to get to and from the study area will be reimbursed

· If you are interested in participating in this study, please call Marybeth Cleveland at 301-412-4224, or email her at mbcleveland to get additional information and to find out if you are eligible for the study. Feel free to share this with anyone who may be interested and who is in the Washington D.C. area.

Thanks and see you out there!

Metro Washington Association of Blind Athletes (MWABA)

Sports and fun for everyone! https://gomwaba.org