Hello MWABA,

Join us for Yoga, Tandem Biking, Goalball, the Beeping Bake-Off, Kayaking, Tennis, Hiking, October Book Club, Oktoberfest Party, and more!

Yoga

· Join us for yoga on September 12th at Columbia Heights Community Center located at 1480 Girard Street NW, Washington D.C. from 2-3 PM with Jennifer Hanft. Please sign up by Thursday afternoon and bring your own yoga mat if you have one along with a towel to serve as a bolster. We will also have our Circle Yoga class on Sunday, September 20th with Bonnie Foote from 3:20-4:30PM located at 3838 Northampton St. NW, Washington, D.C. Please do not arrive before 3PM to Circle Yoga as the doors will be locked. Sign up here: https://forms.gle/M5Ceou6fABacvBjd7

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

· 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

· MWABA’s short- and long-sleeved jerseys have arrived! Email mwaba.inc if you’d like to buy one or more (whether or not you preordered). Short-sleeved jerseys are $45 for dues-paying members ($55 for non-members). Long-sleeved jerseys are $55 for dues-paying members ($65 for non-members).

Goalball

· Come to Goalball practice on September 12th from 10 AM to 1 PM at 1480 Girard St. NW, DC.

Beeping Bake-Off Fundraiser

· Join us on Saturday, September 19th as we host our 4th annual Beeping Bake-Off Fundraiser! We will be meeting at the Jefferson Middle School Field (801 7th Street SW) from 11:00-1:00. For the bake-off portion, anyone can participate by making a favorite dessert and entering the competition. For a minimum donation of $10, you can taste all of the baked goods and vote on the winner. A prize will be awarded to our top vote getter. We will also be playing a game of Beep Kickball at this event. Even if you don’t wish to participate in the bake-off or kickball, you can still come hang out. This is always a fun event and a great opportunity to socialize with other members. Donations from this fundraiser will support MWABA’s various programs. Sign up to participate here: https://forms.gle/7WsC4F2kPM2zAEtk9

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

Hike in Rock Creek Park

· Join us for our next hike, meeting on Sunday, September 27th at 10 a.m. 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: https://forms.gle/EMnXyvdjyjdPiztbA

Beep Baseball and Blind Soccer 10/1

· MWABA is partnering with George Mason University for an Adaptive Sports Day on October 1st. Check in is at 5 p.m. and the Beep Baseball and Blind Soccer Learn to Play Clinic will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Beep Baseball – Blind Soccer – Mason Recreation

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

Oktoberfest Party

· Join MWABA for Oktoberfest in Vienna on Saturday, October 17th at 3:00 pm. At 4:30, you can show off your strength in a beer stein holding contest. We’ll serve bratwurst with German sides and dessert, along with both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Please bring your favorite German beer to share, another beverage that you enjoy, or a $10 contribution to MWABA. Please sign up here if you plan to attend: https://forms.gle/q41XNg2g6gNxAMQa9

Save the Date for a 5K and 10K Turkey Trot

· Bishop Events and the 2026 South Run organizers will be teaming up 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

· Catalyst

o Catalyst is climbing outdoors in Carderock, MD on October 4th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. They are also climbing at SportRock Alexandria on September 27th, October 25th, November 15th, and December 13th; and at SportRock Rio on October 11th. D.C./Baltimore | Catalyst Sports

· 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.

· 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