Art of Advocacy

16/09/2025

Guess who enjoyed Art and Wine. Great fun!

Our Art & Wine Celebration is here!

Join us tonight at the Buffalo Convention Center for a magical Night in Bloom you won’t want to miss. Experience the perfect blend of art and community while enjoying tastings from local restaurants, breweries, and wineries.

Day-of tickets are $75 and available online or at the door.

Dress to our Night in Bloom theme (or simply dress to impress), and get ready for an evening filled with incredible art, delicious samples, and exciting auctions while celebrating the amazing Amazing Artists who are par of our iXpress program. See you tonight!
https://www.aspirewny.org/art-and-wine-celebration-2025/

27/08/2025

Join us…

24/07/2025

Join us for a wonderful celebration…

Introducing the ADA Celebration Speaker Series Tent!

Step into the ADA Celebration Speaker Series Tent—a dedicated space celebrating Disability Pride, accessibility, and inclusion. Here, inspiring speakers from the disability community share their stories, insights, and visions for a more inclusive future. Join us for powerful conversations, community connection, and a celebration of progress made possible by the ADA. We celebrate 35 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act—35 years of progress, pride, and empowerment.

08/07/2025

Good to know and share…

Did you know there are over 120,000 Erie County residents living with a disability. However, not all disabilities are visible or apparent on the outside of a person and that's one reason July is Disability Pride Month.

We build power when we learn about the experience and needs of our neighbors with disabilities by becoming more empathetic, understanding and inclusive.

Learn more from our Erie County Office for People with Disabilities and at https://www3.erie.gov/health/disabilities

14/05/2025

Remember

Today, the Buffalo and Western New York community is joined in somber remembrance of the ten innocent lives lost three years ago. May their names never be forgotten and their loved ones find peace amidst unimaginable grief.

Celestine Chaney, Roberta A. Drury, Andre Mackneil, Katherine Massey, Margus D. Morrison, Heyward Patterson, Aaron Salter, Jr., Geraldine Talley, Ruth Whitfield, Pearl Young.

13/02/2025

Joyce Morrison Donatelli and Max E Donatelli are very happy with the supports our son Craig, pictured here, has received for the past 11+ years in a Self Directed, semi-independent living situation with Aspire of WNY. He has also has a job choice to support his job at Explore and More Children’s Museum.

09/01/2025

Check it out…

09/01/2025

https://www.facebook.com/1052014818/posts/10231221902304838/?

08/01/2025

https://www.facebook.com/1052014818/posts/10231214048668502/?

20/12/2024

Action needed now!

17/12/2024

As members of the Developmental Disability Alliance of WNY Family Committee, we ask that you help us extend our reach to families here in WNY and the Finger Lakes. Please share the following with friends and family and join us…

DDAWNY Family Committee and Whole Person Supports

We are worried about our children’s futures and know so many other parents who have loved ones with intellectual and developmental disabilities are as well. The Developmental Disabilities Alliance of WNY Family Committee is looking for your help. The system that that is supposed to serve our loved ones as you know is difficult to navigate, has long waiting lists, doesn’t allow agencies to pay staff a fair wage, and is unresponsive to many individuals’ needs.

To help address this injustice, we have recently become involved in a statewide effort of providers, parents, and self advocates to help design a more equitable, adequately funded, and responsive system. It is called the Coalition for Whole Person Supports, see wholepersonsupports.org. We have WNY representatives on the Advisory and Steering Committees that are starting to design a system that meets the needs of more individuals and families.

The WNY representatives need you to follow this process as plans unfold and offer your feedback and input on what would help assure your loved one will have a more secure future. Please follow us on Facebook and give us your thoughts by email at ddawnyfamilycommittee@gmail.com. We are counting on the many caring families in WNY to help us build a strong network that will become a force for change.

DDAWNY Family Committee Core Team

20/09/2024