Hello MWABA,
Join us for Tandem Biking, Kayaking, Tennis, October Book Club, a Turkey Trot, and more!
Tandem Biking
· Sign up by Tuesday night at 8 p.m. for our Thursday night Eastern Market ride and our Friday night Bethesda ride: https://forms.gle/YAdsEQbKSpZABg2Y7 Note that the red line is under construction, and busses replace trains to Bethesda.
· Sign up by September 15th if you’d like to do the Great Pumpkin Ride with MWABA on October 24th in Warrenton, Virginia. https://forms.gle/nZQRsmqR53YEzpJx8
Goalball
· There is no Goalball practice on September 5th, the next practice will be on September 12th.
Annual Kayaking on the Wharf
· Please join us for our annual Kayak the Potomac event on Sunday, September 20th at the Wharf, 710 Wharf St. SW. MWABA will be renting double kayaks from 1:00-5:00 pm. This is a drop-in event. Come anytime and stay as long as you like. MWABA will provide snacks, water and Gatorade. The Wharf is an easy walk from the Waterfront metro station on the green line. Wear shoes and clothing that can get wet, and keep your fingers crossed for the same beautiful weather we had last year. Sign up here: https://forms.gle/6G5dt8TuoHv6WDWN7
Tennis
· MWABA is partnering with the Tennis Alliance of Anne Arundel County to host free blind and low vision tennis classes on September 19th and 26th at the Columbia Heights Community Center, 1480 Girard Street NW, DC. See the attached flyer for more details and register here: September 2026 Tennis Classes Registration
October Book Club
· Join us for a lively discussion and maybe a libation or two.
· Sunday, October 4 at 1pm
· Location: TBD
· This month’s book is Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera, available on Bard #DB 119654
· Sign up here: Book Club Sign Up Form
Save the Date for a 5K and 10K Turkey Trot
· Bishop Events and the 2026 South Run organizers will be teaming with MWABA this Thanksgiving for their 5K and 10K foot races. Proceeds from this year’s event will be gifted to MWABA. Let’s show our appreciation with a strong showing from MWABA. Start training now to run/walk, or plan to come out and cheer on our runners. The races will be held on Thanksgiving morning, Thursday November 26th. The start and finish lines will be at the South Run RecCenter, 7550 Reservation Dr. in Springfield VA. More details will be given in later newsletters.
Other Activities
· “Brailled It” Documentary free screening at the Library of Congress on September 14th. The Brailled It Experience: Cinema for All Tickets | Washington, DC | Events from the Library of Congress
· Seeking participants with vision disabilities for a research study
o The UNC Highway Safety Research Center, in conjunction with Accessible Design for the Blind, is looking for volunteers with little to no vision to participate in a study to understand the experiences and challenges faced when navigating around sidewalk closures, and to evaluate different messages that might help with that navigation. Where sidewalk closures exist, audible information devices (AID) may be present to provide speech messages regarding the closure and available routes around the closure.
o The study will take place in the Washington D.C. area in October and will take about two hours to complete. You will receive $75 for your participation in the study in addition to being reimbursed for travel-related expenses to get to and from the study location.
o They are looking for people who cannot see signs, including those providing routing information around sidewalk closures, who regularly travel independently outdoors, and who are willing to participate in the research. You must be comfortable using a long cane; dog guide users will be asked to use their cane rather than their Guide Dog.
o If you decide to take part in the study, you will be asked to walk routes that encounter sidewalk closures with audible information messages. Using the information message, you will attempt to make your way around the closure and will be asked some questions at various times during your participation. A certified orientation and mobility specialist will be with you while you travel all routes.
o If you are interested in participating in this study, please call Marybeth Cleveland at mbcleveland to find out if you are eligible for the study.
· Sign a petition to support Hains Point (East Potomac Park) remaining accessible for biking, walking, running, and other recreation: Save Hains Point for People « Washington Area Bicyclist Association
· Blind Fencing Class Announcement Fall 2026. Learn how to use a sword! Fencing has been an Olympic sport since the beginning of the modern Olympics. Blind fencing is growing in the US and abroad. We hope that it will be included in the Paralympics in the future. Fencing can help develop orientation and mobility skills. It is an energetic sport that can enhance reflexes, balance and coordination. It also requires strategy and tactics to win against an opponent. The sport is very safe as the fencing uniform provides ample protection. The swords are not sharp; they have a small tip at the end that depresses and lights up a light and sounds a buzzer when a fencer is stabbed.
o Registration is open for a class to teach fencing to blind adults at Chevy Chase Fencing Club. The class is only for those who are legally blind and ages 13 and above. The class size will be limited to ten students.
o Classes will meet on Friday evenings, from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm, for ten sessions, beginning on September 11th, at the Chevy Chase Community Center, 5601 Connecticut Avenue, NW.
o Full uniform and equipment is provided to the students for use during the class. Students are asked to wear shorts (so that the fencing knickers can be worn overtop), long knee-length socks, and athletic shoes (no sandals or Crocs).
o Register online at https://fencer.com/fencing-class-registration/. The registration fee is $250 for the semester. If additional funding can be found before the start of the classes the registration fee will be reduced and a refund of the difference will be given to those who have already paid. It may be possible for students who have hardship paying the full fee to get supplemental financial assistance from generous sources. If there are any problems with your registration submittal, look for error messages at the top of the webpage.
o If you have any questions, please contact Raymond Finkleman (Fencing Master and Member of the Sligo Creek Chapter of NFB) at fencer.
If you have news or an activity you would like to submit to be included in an upcoming newsletter, please send it to: mwaba.inc.
Thanks and see you out there!
Metro Washington Association of Blind Athletes (MWABA)
Sports and fun for everyone! https://gomwaba.org
September 2026 Blind Tennis Flyer – Tennis Alliance of Anne Arundel County – Final.docx