On Saturday, January 26, 2019, six GOFI service dogs and their handlers traveled from Norwood to South Station on the MBTA Commuter Rail. The group connected to the Silver Line to experience a connected multimodal journey. Photo: Keolis
Exposing these service animals to a commuter rail journey helps to make the train more familiar as a convenient mode of transit for people living with disabilities and provides access to more than 500 weekday trains that reach 130 stations across the greater Boston region and Rhode Island.
GOFI used the commuter rail to help socialize their service dogs by exposing them to various sights, sounds and smells that they need to ignore as they maintain focus on their human partners. Rail travel, other passengers and even the tactile surfaces they walk on are all important for the dogs’ socialization and environmental understanding.
GOFI trainers used the MBTA commuter rail service to help socialize their service dogs by exposing them to various sights, sounds and smells that they need to ignore as they maintain focus on their human partners. Photo: Keolis
GOFI’s mission is to empower people with disabilities to live a fulfilling life with the assistance of a dog and a mentor. The service dogs are trained to assist their human partners with common daily tasks such as picking up items, turning on lights or opening doors. The dogs are also trained for medical alerts such as diabetic shock or epileptic episodes. Keolis officials joined GOFI during this multi-modal trip and continuously work with a wide-range of accessibility groups throughout the greater Boston region to facilitate further enhancements.
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