Over 80 travel trainers came to Boston from as far away as Alaska and Florida for the annual Association of Travel Instruction national conference August 12-14. Attendees included travel trainers from transit authorities, human service agency staff, educators, and Orientation and Mobility Specialists. While some participants were new to travel training, others had over 30 years of experience in the field.

This year was Boston's first time hosting the conference, and many travel trainers and other local stakeholders played a role. The evening before the conference, Linda Shepard Salzer and Yasi Abdolmohammadi of Ways2Go offered a demonstration of the system orientation they provide at the MBTA's Emergency Training Center. On the morning the conference began, Laura Brelsford, Assistant General Manager for System-Wide Accessibility at the MBTA, welcomed participants, and Boston's Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities Kristen McCosh provided a keynote presentation. Meg Robertson, Director of the Orientation and Mobility Department for the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind, presented on wayfinding and navigation for individuals with vision loss or cognitive disabilities. Innovative Paradigms  hosted a reception and gave tours of THE RIDE Eligibility Center (TREC). As the conference came to a close, MassMobility staff Rachel Fichtenbaum presented on the Massachusetts Travel Instruction Network as part of a panel on collaboration and regional networks.

A highlight of the conference was a panel organized by Ways2Go where trainees discussed why they enrolled in travel training and how it has changed their lives. One young woman learned to travel independently by commuter rail and subway from her home in Dedham to her culinary arts program at Bunker Hill Community College to pursue her dream of becoming a chef. A man who lost his vision after a long career of tree work shared how much it means to him to have regained his independence and to be able to visit his friends instead of always waiting for them to visit him.

Other presentations covered key topics such as safety, relating transit skills to Common Core Standards, medications, peer education for travel training, outreach and communications strategies, understanding parent reluctance, and more.

The Worcester Regional Transit Authority (WRTA) partners with many local Councils on Aging (COAs), including a long-term collaboration with the Worcester Senior Center. Located on two bus routes, the Center provides bus passes and paratransit coupons to subsidize the cost for participants who travel to the Center via public transportation.

Earlier this year, Yung Phan, Coordinator of Multi-Cultural Programs and Senior Services at the Worcester Senior Center, approached WRTA Travel Trainer Tess Sebastian about working with the center's group for Bhutanese elders. In March, Sebastian went to the center and presented an overview of the WRTA system and the services that WRTA offers.

Participants were interested in trying out the bus, so in July, Sebastian, an interpreter, and six Bhutanese elders picked up the 1 bus at the Senior Center and rode it to the WRTA hub. After a tour of the hub - including an introduction to the hybrid, electric, and regular bus models - the group took the 80 bus on a loop around downtown Worcester. Back at the hub, they rode the 1 bus to return to the Senior Center.

The seniors enjoyed the activity and asked to learn how to ride the bus to a park, so Sebastian is working on finding a good park that is accessible by bus. In the meantime, the Worcester Senior Center has also asked her to present to their Vietnamese elders group.