As a native of Massachusetts, traveling to Boston has always been a part of my life since childhood. I can remember driving in the car with my parents and while I looked out the window, the essence of the city truly captured my attention. The towering skyscrapers, scenic attractions and even the sounds of the busy streets will always give me a sense of comfort. Since I first started planning trips in my position, Boston was always in the forefront of my mind. I knew there would be several obstacles to identify and overcome. Some of these obstacles were coordinating transportation, accessibility of activities and covering expenses while keeping the cost somewhat affordable to the travelers. \
I discussed with some of the people we support here at The Arc of Opportunity, about their past experiences in Boston. A decent amount of the people I talked to stated that they never had the chance to travel there. Those who went to Boston, it was only to an appointment or “it was a very long time ago.” After listening to them, I knew I had to give them a chance to experience the city, no matter what the challenges would be.
In lieu of The Beatles 50th year anniversary this year, The Wang Theater located in Boston was hosting the performance of Rain. Rain is a tribute band that plays all Beatles songs as well as dressing in costumes to replicate different time periods such as “The Yellow Submarine” or “The White Album.” The performers in Rain looked practically identical to the original members. Once I saw this being advertised, I thought it would be a great idea for a trip!
One of the biggest challenges was how to get there. Due to the difficulties of trying to park a large van as well as the cost and availability of a space to park, we decided to utilize public transportation. We took the train right from the Fitchburg Commuter Train straight into the city at North Station. Public transit was a new way to travel that has not typically been used on past trips. Although it was a bit of an experiment, using the public transit to get around was quite a success! The trains utilized for transportation added a genuine hands-on experience as the travelers got to see how Bostonians commute every day. Now that we know traveling there can be a success, the endless opportunities of arts, music, entertainment, special events, etc., offered in the city is wide open for future trips!
As I am reflecting on this journey, I made a connection in regards to the current changes that are anticipated to take place in the future. The Arc of Opportunity recently hosted a forum to brief program participants and their families on the upcoming changes taking place in our vocational program. Across the whole nation, legislators are pushing for sheltered workshops to be supplemented with a vocational program that is community based. Their perspective is that people in the workshops are segregated from other opportunities that a job in the community offers to them. They feel integration needs to happen in order to ensure people with disabilities are able to have the same chance to work in their community, like anyone else.
These changes will happen gradually, but many people in the workshop and their families are fearful about how this transition will affect them. Trying new things can be hard, especially to take that first step, but once the wheels are in motion you may surprise yourself what you are capable of! I was hesitant to use the public transportation for our Boston trip, but I couldn’t let “the fear of the unknown” stop me. Now that it’s been tackled, I know it is possible. Although my obstacle is different, the fear of the unknown is the same in all change. For those who are affected by the current modifications to take place, I’ll leave you with this: “Don’t be afraid of change. You may lose something good but you may gain something better.” -Anonymous -