Sunday, August 20, 2017

NETT Runs for the Bus (to Help the Blind)

A bunch of NETT members and friends decided to spend Sunday morning helping out the blind by running the 78 bus route in Belmont and Arlington.

Confused? Okay, here's the real story. If you've never thought about it--take a look at your local bus stop and imagine trying to find the right place to stand -- if you're blind.  The Perkins School for the Blind has a great app called BlindWays. It allows anyone to input "clues" about bus stops on MBTA bus lines. To the right of the bus stop, within 10 feet is a tree. To the left a phone pole on grass.

So we looked up which bus line needed clues and just ran the bus line in groups, leapfrogging each other stopping at each stop and inputting the info into the app. Eminem, Mary, Jason and Crazy Dave got in a nice run and covered a couple dozen stops in the effort that will now be much easier for blind people to find.

But that's not all! Marshall being Marshall, showed up with whole crew in tow (four kids, a family friend and a dog!) to help hit a few more stops in the Belmont area.  One of the kids was even making suggestions about how the app could be improved ("They could include what kind of bark the tree has so the blind person could touch it and know they are in the right spot"). Great stuff!

In today's crazy environment, it's easy to think we're all going to need a handbasket tomorrow. But you know what? If you take the time to do something good and do it with some good friends you start to feel better about a lot of things. And that's really what NETT is all about it. (Steps down from soapbox).

#ProudtobeaPony