On Thursday, November 13 from 6:30-7:30pm at Bornhava located at 25 Chateau Terrace, Amherst NY 14226.
This presentation will provide an overview of the Art of Advocacy: Assuring the Rights of People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Participants will share how advocates with disabilities, family members, and allies can gradually build on their skills and become more effective in advocating for themselves; and for some help change larger systems by their efforts. Presenters hope to teach new ideas, inspire those who attend and offer next steps for their advocacy journeys.
This will be a joint meeting with members of the DSPG and parents of children who attend Bornhava.
Our speakers will be Max Donatelli and BJ Stasio.
Max Donatelli is a proud parent who along with his wife, Joyce Donatelli, have two beautiful children, Connie and Craig. Craig is 35 has Down syndrome, and lives semi-independently and works in competitive employment. The family are recognized advocates for people with developmental disabilities, those with mental health challenges, and for inclusion and equity locally and statewide. Max retired from Baker Victory Services (now OLV Human Services) in 2016 after 42 years in roles including direct care worker, clinical director, and department head, helping high risk youth in foster care and families (has BA degree in psychology and sociology; and is the former executive director of the Parent Network of WNY.
BJ Stasio is a passionate and dedicated advocate for the rights and inclusion of individuals with disabilities. Based in Buffalo, New York, BJ has been actively involved in advocacy and leadership for over 20 years. He served as the President of the Board of Directors for the Self-Advocacy Association of New York State (SANYS), elected by his peers to represent self-advocates across the state. His work with SANYS includes amplifying the voices of self-advocates and promoting person-centered initiatives.
Please RSVP by 11/10.