Veteran Discovers New Mobility Option in Waymo Through Blinded Veterans Association Partnership
For years, U.S. Army retired Master Sergeant Sheldon McKinney was able to hide that his vision was fading while maintaining a semblance of his old way of life. It wasn’t until he stopped working in 2017 that he came to grips with the reality of having sight loss.
“I guess I was covering up my sight loss,” Sheldon recalled. “I was finding ways to manipulate things so people didn’t realize how bad it was.”
Sheldon felt stuck and isolated.
“It was a big shock because I was used to going places on my own, “ Sheldon explained. “Once I stopped driving, I had to depend on other people to take me places.”
Eventually, through the Blinded Veterans Association (BVA), Sheldon said that he found community and met people who were on the same journey he was on. BVA is a nonprofit organization committed to helping veterans and their families meet and overcome the challenges of blindness however they have become blind, either during or after active duty.
“The BVA has helped me to get my life back,” Sheldon shared.
Through BVA, Sheldon learned to view his sight loss not as a disability, but as a new way of doing things. He met other veterans who were living active, independent, and joyful lives as people who are blind.
Two Blinded Veterans Association members, Rob and Sheldon, participating in a group yoga class at Ability360, an accessible fitness center in Phoenix.
“A lot of them are further along in their blind journey than I am and I said, ‘if they can do it, I can do it,’” Sheldon shared.
On his journey, Sheldon has embraced new technologies that can benefit people living with vision loss – everything from screen readers to guide dogs and autonomous driving technology. Through a partnership with Waymo, BVA members like Sheldon are discovering the opportunities in Waymo’s autonomous ride-hailing service, Waymo One.
“When I got in a Waymo yesterday for the first time by myself, I felt like I was driving again,” Sheldon said. “It was just amazing to be in a car for the first time by yourself with no other person in there.”
When I got in a Waymo yesterday for the first time by myself, I felt like I was driving again. It was just amazing to be in a car for the first time by yourself with no other person in there.Sheldon McKinney, BVA member
Waymo has worked with a dedicated network of people with disabilities and their advocates to gather feedback on its technology and integrate accessible features at every step of the rider journey, from hailing a ride in the app to identifying the vehicle at pick up, and being notified of trip status through robust in-car audio cues.
“The app is accessible with my screen reader, and it guided me and took the stress off,” Sheldon shared. “I didn’t have to ask anybody where my car was because the app guided me saying: ‘it’s 100 yards to your left.’”
Sheldon, who lives in a town without a fully integrated public transportation system, said Waymo has created a new mobility option for riders who are blind and once felt disempowered.
“Waymo is better because it makes you feel more independent,” Sheldon explained. “I don't have to interact with a driver that doesn't really want to talk; I can be in the car, free. No stress."
Sheldon and his guide dog, Nora, both stand smiling toward the camera in front of a Waymo autonomous vehicle.
Sheldon said that Waymo has granted him a renewed sense of optimism for his community.
“My mission is to spread the word to veterans and non-veterans, to family members and caregivers, that their life is not over,” Sheldon said. “They can make it in the world and they can be independent.”
Sheldon urged people to reach out to the BVA: “Whatever you need, we'll try to get it for you to help you navigate this journey that we all are on, we are just in different stages of the journey.”
