[MD-AtLarge] Car Rally Seeking Blind Navigators

[Maryland President]

Friends,

 

The MG Car Club of Washington D.C. is holding a car rally on September 23,
2023 beginning at approximately 9:45AM.  They are seeking blind navigators.
The event takes place at Burke Lake Park in Fairfax Station, Virginia NFB of
Maryland may be able to coordinate transportation for those leaving from
Baltimore, and I believe those coming from closer to DC can get there on the
Metro.

 

This is a road rally where blind and low vision navigators, using braille or
large print instructions, give directions to the driver we pair them with.
Teams follow the designated public route through lightly populated Virginia
countryside to a checkpoint midway through the drive, and then return to
Burke Lake Park. The complete trip takes about an hour and starts off around
10:30 a.m. or so, After everyone completes the course, they provide lunch,
and awards are given for those with the "best" times. (Importantly, to
encourage strict adherence to speed limits, points are deducted if you go
too fast, as well as too slow.) Last year's overall winner was a 12 year old
school boy from Fairfax Virginia. 

Most, but not all, of the drivers are driving MG cars. Last year, the
organizer

s navigator (a woman he met about ten years ago through a tandem bicycle
group) brought her 2 year old toddler, so they did the rally in his modern
Volkswagen, as his MG would not accommodate the youngster's car seat. They
can accommodate passengers, such as spouses or parents, if desired, although
most of the teams consist of one navigator and one driver. 

There is no cost to attend the rally and they can arrange transportation for
navigators. In some cases, it is provided by club members, in other cases,
they utilize Uber or another ride service to transport navigators to and
from the park.  NFB of Maryland may have a van leaving from NFB if interest
is high. 

The club's braille rally dates back to 1962. They believe it is the first
event of its type in the U.S. After 57 years, the event was cancelled in
2020 and 2021 due to Covid, but they brought it back last year (on October
22) and it was very well received. They had six navigators last year, and
they hope to double or triple that number this year. (they are also
considering audio instructions this year - something they have not done in
the past). 

The MG Car Club of Washington D.C. was founded in 1951 and is an official
"centre" of the MG Car Club in Britain that was formed by MG in the early
1930's to promote interest in the brand. They have approximately 200
members.

Please feel free to contact Dr. Maurer at MMaurer at nfb.org
<mailto:MMaurer at nfb.org>  or Tom Renda at the information below if you have
any questions.

Tom Renda
President
MG Car Club, Washington D.C. Centre
410-804-7017

 

Ronza Othman, President

National Federation of the Blind of Maryland

443-426-4110

Pronouns: she, her, hers

 

The National Federation of the Blind of Maryland knows that blindness is not
the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the
expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want;
blindness is not what holds you back

 

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