RFI 57-26 Live Agent Visual Interpreting.docx

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

Live Visual Agent Interpreting RFI #57-26 / COMMBUYS Bid # BD-26-1206-40000-40000-127418

MASSACHUSETTS BAY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY

Live Agent Visual Interpreting

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION 57-26

Commbuys Bid # BD-26-1206-40000-40000-127418

Contact Person:

Ray Wise Chief Procurement Officer Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority 10 Park Plaza Boston, MA 02116 rwise@mbta.com

Please Note: This is a single document associated with a Request for Information (RFI) that can be found on www.COMMBUYS.com. Interested parties are responsible for reviewing and adhering to all information, forms and requirements for the RFI. Responders may also contact the COMMBUYS Helpdesk at COMMBUYS@state.ma.us or the COMMBUYS Helpline at 1-888-MA-STATE. The Helpline is staffed from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday Eastern Standard or Daylight time, as applicable, except on federal, state and Suffolk county holidays.

ISSUE DATE: 3/31/2026

1. Description or Purpose of Request for Information:

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) is interested in learning about smartphone-based, live agent visual interpreting tools or other solutions that can help riders who are blind or have low vision navigate the MBTA’s rapid transit system.

The MBTA has 267 rapid transit stations in 175+ cities and towns across Eastern Massachusetts and parts of Rhode Island. Navigating a station can be intimidating for many people, especially those who are blind or have low vision. MBTA stations do not have a standard layout, and many have complex pathways between their various entrances, platforms, tracks, and exits. A rider’s path becomes more challenging when there are unexpected changes, such as construction, obstacles or blocked pathways, or facilities that are out-of-service.

2. Requested Information (RFI Response):

Please formulate a response of not more than 15 pages. Material such as a title page, table of contents, and supplemental material or appendices are not included in that limit.

Response should be submitted in COMMBUYS and should address the following topics:

User Experience

1. What is your approach to providing audio and visual assistance? Do you utilize live agent visual interpreters that provide audio and visual assistance?

2. How does a user “engage” your solution? Please describe and provide information about typical connection times and connection time commitments, if any.

General

3. Describe how your solution would assist a rider who is totally blind and uses a white cane on their journey from the outside entrance of a station to their train platform at an indoor station, two levels below.

4. Is your solution able to function effectively in both indoor and outdoor transit environments? Detail any experience or deployments in a rapid transit environment.

5. Provide a list of any transit or blind organizations that use your solution.

6. What languages does your solution support?

7. If your solution uses agents, describe the training agents receive to provide visual interpretation support e.g. type of training, # of hours, certifications.

Implementation

8. What is your process for implementation and what is a typical timeline?

9. What (if any) physical infrastructure is required for your solution?

10. What support is needed from the MBTA for implementation and on-going utilization of your solution?

Technical

11. Does your tool have a software development kit (SDK) for future compatibility with wearables like Meta Glasses? If so, what capabilities would the user have with this integration?

12. The MBTA does not have publicly-available Wifi in its stations, so live-agent visual interpreting will rely on a strong cellular signal to work. Describe how signal performance (strength, quality) could be tested for your tool.

Reporting

13. Describe your solution’s reporting metrics e.g. usage, calls, # minutes, locations, purpose of contact, success rate, customer satisfaction, and others.

14. Describe how reporting data are provided (e.g. raw data in a CSV file, dashboards, call logs, etc.) and provide examples.

Information Security

15. Briefly describe your information security controls and processes.

16. What types of Information Security certifications/attestations does your platform support/provide?

Software Accessibility

17. Is your solution and included documentation compliant with the following: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.1, levels AA or AAA? If not, in what areas is the solution noncompliant?

18. Does your solution have a completed Accessibility Compliance Report (ACR) from the latest version of the VPAT 2.1 (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) or equivalent? If so, does the ACR include reporting for WCAG 2.1 levels A and AA (AAA optional) and Functional Performance Criteria (Section 508 requirements)?

19. Does your solution support native iOS and Android accessibility features?

Commercial

20. Please describe your license and pricing model including types of licenses, user limits, etc. Indicate how pricing would scale if the implementation expanded throughout the MBTA’s service area.

21. If the MBTA were to implement a solution, the MBTA would want to ensure that it's only being used for transit-related support, not general-purpose support. How do you ensure that an enterprise partner, like the MBTA, is only paying for support for a specific purpose? What auditing, analytics, or other guardrails do you have to accomplish this?

22. Provide some information about your company including number of employees, years in business, and any other relevant information.

Other

23. What other benefits or capabilities does your solution offer?

3. Next Steps Upon receipt of responses, the MBTA may request additional information or demonstration of system capability through email or virtual meeting.

Responses to this RFI will be used to understand current capabilities and determine the merits of moving forward with additional research and/or a Request for Proposal (RFP). The MBTA will notify all companies that respond to this RFI of its next steps and timeline by May 31, 2026.

4. RFI Calendar

Responders are required to monitor COMMBUYS for changes to the RFI calendar for this Bid.

5. Online Questions (Bid Q&A) Written Questions must be entered through the “Bid Q&A” tab for the Bid in COMMBUYS no later than the Questions Due date and time indicated in the RFI Calendar (above). The MBTA reserves the right not to respond to questions submitted after this date. It is the Responder’s responsibility to verify questions were successfully posted on COMMBUYS.

Written Responses to Questions will be posted on the Bid Q&A Tab in COMMBUYS on or about the “Response to Questions Posted Online” date indicated in the RFI Calendar (above).