This past weekend, several youth were able to ride the BORP bus together for a chilly hike, and roll through the Reinhart Regional Redwood Park trail in search of wintering lady bugs. They also visited the Chabot Space and Science Center to see a rocket up close and experiment with telescopes.
These BORP youth attend schools within the Oakland Unified School District and some have met each other in their Orientation and Mobility Class in Middle School or High School. They are able to have the experience of traveling together on the BORP bus whether it’s for a hike, museum visit, to the Cycling center or on a BORP Kayaking adventure. Throughout the year, they are able to get to know each other outside of the classroom, and create friendships and community.
“It’s good that we can ride the same bus. Some of us have wheelchairs or some of us have low vision. We can go on field trips with BORP instead of school because our schools don’t have buses for kids with disabilities. This makes me feel included and like the rest of the students.”
– Anonymous BORP Oakland youth age 17
BORP’s accessible group trip transportation service is made possible by funding from Alameda County Transportation Commission through the Special Transportation Program for Seniors and People with Disabilities (Measure B funds). This service is aimed at improving the mobility of people with disabilities and increasing access to sports and recreation activities by supplementing conventional fixed route service and addressing the current gap in accessible group trip options for youth and adults with disabilities in Alameda County. More information about this project can be found at: https://www.borp.org/programs/current-projects/ or at http://www.alamedactc.org/.
In addition to providing transportation for BORP participants, we also offer a fee-for-service Group Trip Service option with a low community rate for disability groups and nonprofits. If you are planning a group trip and want information on how a BORP bus could help with your accessible transportation needs, contact BORP Transportation Coordinator, Sarah-Dawn Smith, at transportation@borp.org
