Come join MAPVI at the New England Aquarium to learn about fish and other sea creatures.

DATE: Saturday, June 2nd. Tour starts at 11:30 (meet at 11:15 for tickets).

We’ll meet outside at the sign for the New England Aquarium at 11:15am. We will then head inside for a private instructional EXPLORER CLASS where we will learn about tide pool creatures and get to touch the animals in a one-on-one environment. The class will be 45 minutes long.

After the class you’re free to wander the aquarium on your own. Be sure to check out the open touch tank displays featuring sharks, rays, sand dollars, starfish, hermit crabs, and other small sea creatures!

A discounted lunch voucher for the Aquarium cafe is also available (more info below).

Please RSVP by 5/26/12 to Brenda Stephenson Brashears at 978-855-1966 or brashears.brenda@yahoo.com.

Checks must be received by 5/26/12 and made out to MAPVI.

Mail to:
MAPVI
c/o Brenda Stephenson Brashears
18 Prospect Ave
Leominster, MA 01453

Prices will be:

All visually impaired children and adults (both MAPVI members and non-MAPVI members) receive free admission to the Aquarium!

MAPVI members: Free admission to Aquarium and Tide Pool Class for 1 Adult and 1 child. Each additional adult $10.00 and additional children $5.00.

non-MAPVI members: Adults $ 19.00, VI Child $ 5.00 (this covers the Tide Pool Class), non-VI Child $11.

Discounted Lunch Vouchers Available for $ 8.50 per person. Includes entree, drink and dessert, but has to be paid for when tickets are ordered.

If you’re not a member, join now and save! MAPVI events are always less expensive for members.

Space is limited for this event and may fill up fast.

MAPVI is teaming up with the Perkins School for the Blind to bring you a Beeping Spring Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 7th at 10:00 am!

We’ll meet at the new Grousbeck Center on the Perkins campus in Watertown then walk over to the playground in front of the Howe Building for our hunt. The eggs will be in three separate areas: one for children with vision, one for children with low or no vision and one for children in wheelchairs. The second two areas will have beeping eggs!

Meet us back at the Grousbeck Center after the hunt for morning refreshments and Spring crafts!

Reserve your spot at this event by contacting Amber Bobnar via email or by phone at 617-923-1241.

We’ll have prizes for the children who find the special egg hidden in each section and little goodie bags for all participants!

The Perkins School is located at 175 North Beacon Street in Watertown. Parking in the Beechwood Avenue parking lot would be easiest.

DIRECTIONS BY CAR:
Exit the Massachusetts Turnpike (traveling east or west) at Exit 17. Follow signs marked “Watertown,” leading to Galen St. Follow Galen Street, crossing bridge to Watertown Square. Bear right (not the hardest right along the river) onto North Beacon St. (Rte. 20). Follow North Beacon St. for about one-half mile to the Perkins campus on the right. Pass the campus entrance and turn right at the light onto Beechwood Ave. Parking lot is on the right.

Visit the Perkins website for a map of the campus.

Download a flyer for this event here.

Check out these programs from the MFA:

Feeling for Form Introductory Tour of MFA for blind & low vision visitors

The Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) in Boston offers a series of introductory one-on-one guided tours to the Museum and its collections for blind and low vision individuals who want to build a deeper relationship with the Museum. Each monthly session focuses on a different collection and includes wayfinding and verbal description of spaces. These tours are given on the 1st Sunday of the month at 10:30 am and the 3rd Wednesday at 6:30pm. Individuals can attend one or more sessions, whichever interests them. Guided tours can also bescheduled at other times. Pre-registration is not required unless a visitor needs a sighted guide or other access accommodation.

Free introductory tour of MFA in sign language & with assistive listening devices

A new monthly offering at the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) in Boston for people who are Deaf or hard of hearing. These tours will be given at 6:30 pm on the 2nd Wednesday of each month. No pre-registration is required; meet at the Sharf Visitor Center in the MFA.

Contact Valerie Burrows at 617-369-3302 voice, 617-267-9703 TTY, or vburrows@mfa.org for more information about accessible programs or to register. You can also call 617-369-3189 or e-mail access@mfa.org or go to www.mfa.org. The MFA is located at 465 Huntington Avenue in Boston, and is accessible by the Green line “E” train to the“Museum of Fine Arts” stop, or the Orange line train to the “Ruggles” stop.

MAPVI’s Annual Holiday Party will be held on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2011. We’re going to see Ben Rudnick & Friends play their 10th Annual Holiday Extravaganza Concert at the Regent Theatre in Arlington.

The show starts at 10:30am and the theatre is located at 7 Medford Street in Arlington.

After the show we’ll have a pizza party at Not Your Average Joe’s, located at 645 Mass Ave in Arlington (about 5 minutes walk from the theater).

Ben Rudnick & Friends: www.benrudnick.com
Regent Theatre: www.regenttheatre.com
Not Your Average Joe’s: www.notyouraveragejoes.com

Contact Amber Bobnar by email or phone (617-923-1241) to reserve your spot in this event. Be sure to also mail your check and reply form by the RSVP date. Checks for the concert must be received by 12/3/11 in order to get MAPVI’s discounted rate.

Tickets will be $5 for adults and free for kids who are members, $7 for adults and $7 for kids who are nonmembers.

The Pizza Party after the concert is included in your ticket price. We will be offering pizza, drinks, and dessert at Not Your Average Joe’s, but you can place your own orders as well. Parking is available directly across the street from the Regent Theatre.

MAPVI’s Annual Potluck Meeting will be held on November 14th at the Grousbeck Center for Students and Technology at Perkins School for the Blind.

MAPVI Board Elections will also be held. We have open positions including our President so please consider joining our board. You can download a copy of the 2012 ballot here.

Monday, November 14, 2011, starting at 6 p.m.

There will be a tour of the facility after a potluck dinner.

PLEASE BRING A DISH TO SHARE.

Directions:

From the Massachusetts Turnpike, also known as I-90 (traveling east or west), take Exit 17 and follow the signs marked “Watertown,” which lead to Galen Street. Follow Galen Street, crossing the bridge, to Watertown Square. Bear right (not the hardest right that leads along the river) onto North Beacon Street (Route 20). Follow North Beacon Street for about one-half mile to the Perkins campus (located on the right). Pass the campus and turn right onto Beechwood Avenue. The main parking lot is on the right. The new Grousbeck Center for Students and Technology is the new modern building.

Please RSVP by November 11th to Michelle Contey at 508-982-2715 or mcontey@yahoo.com so we may plan accordingly. In the event of a last minute cancellation, please leave a phone number where you can be reached on that day.

Come join us for a fun-filled day of fishing on a private pond at Riverside Gun Club (16 Wilkins Street, Hudson, MA) on Saturday, August 13, 2011 10:00 am – 2:00 pm (rain date of August 14th).

Lunch will be provided!

THIS EVENT IS LIMITED TO 50 PARTICIPANTS
(Children with disabilities AND their siblings/friends)

RESERVE YOUR SPOT TODAY!
This event is open to any family who has a child with a disability, however, children with a visual impairment and their siblings/friends will be given priority until August 1st, then its first come/first served.

Rods and reels for the children are provided by Wildlife and Fishery. Baiting and casting (as needed) provided by Hudson Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts.

NOTE: This event is FREE for all MAPVI members. The fee is $10 per family for non-members. Non-members may make payment at the event (cash or check written to “MAPVI”) or become a member (cash or check written to “NAPVI”, forms will be available at event). Dues for combined NAPVI/MAPVI membership is $40. Visit napvi.org or call 617-972-7441 for more information.

RSVP by August 5th by emailing Sue Rawley or by calling 781-902-1413 (work number).

IMPORTANT: Please include how many adults and how many children will be attending as well as a phone number in the event of postponement. Also include visual acuity and any other disabilities that may need to be taken into consideration.