Author Archives: Ally McCabe

Cortland County Mental Health Walk 2025 

By Erin Vallely, CANDLE Administrative Assistant 

CANDLE was thrilled to join the Cortland County Mental Health Community Resource Fair and Walk on May 15th, 2025.  The event was held at the Cortland County Fairgrounds and the walk went to Guthrie Cortland Medical Center and back.  The event, organized by Cortland County, is an opportunity to come together to support one another, celebrate resilience, and to raise awareness for mental wellness.   

As a sponsor, ATI supported the event with a donation and tabled at the community resource fair which took place from 11am-12pm.  Other sponsors of the event included Catholic Charities of Cortland County, City of Cortland Police Department, Cortland County Sheriff’s Office, Guthrie, Cortland County Legislature, Clint Bush, Family & Children’s Counseling Services, OCM BOCES, SPEAK UP Cortland, among others.  The crowd then heard from a variety of speakers including youth, community leaders, human services agencies, and law enforcement before heading out for the walk. Some discussed the importance of reducing the stigma around asking for and receiving mental health support. Others shared the need for expanded mental health services in Cortland County and the steps that have already been taken to reach that goal, including construction of a new mental health facility on Port Watson Street. 

ATI and CANDLE staff and volunteers spoke with many disabled individuals during the event, many of whom were excited to hear about CANDLE’s mission to reduce substance use within the disability community by making prevention services accessible. Visitors without disabilities also expressed their support for our efforts. In addition to spreading CANDLE’s message, Ally McCabe and SGT Brian Jackson from the New York National Guard Counterdrug Taskforce continued our annual substance use community survey efforts.  By the end of the walk, we received 47 survey responses from local community members!  Thank you to everyone who supported us by taking it. 

If you would like to participate and haven’t already, please take the survey at the link below.  By anonymously sharing your experience, you help us determine which prevention strategies will be most appropriate and effective at reducing substance use rates here in Cortland County. Those strategies are then adapted by CANDLE to be universally accessible, ensuring that people with disabilities have the same access to prevention services as everyone else. 

Help ATI Make Prevention Accessible: STOP IN TO ATI TO TAKE THE SURVEY

To learn more or get involved with the coalition, visit our website at candlecoalition.org.   

Exploring Substance Misuse Programming on Global Accessibility Day

By Erin Vallely, CANDLE Administrative Assistant

Did you know May 15th, 2025, is Global Accessibility Awareness Day? While the day’s focus is usually on web accessibility, CANDLE wanted to use the opportunity to talk about accessibility in prevention programming. All too often, substance misuse prevention programming is not accessible to individuals with disabilities and chronic illnesses. Here’s some things to consider:

Location: The first step is to ensure your programming takes place in a universally accessible space. Some aspects of accessibility include access by public transportation, time of day, step free entrances, and rooms with clear walking paths. The space you use needs to be welcoming to everyone, regardless of their ability level.

Material Accessibility: The second step is to assess your materials for accessibility. Creating alternate versions of things ahead of time, such as large print or audio versions, will make it much easier to provide accommodations when needed. You also want to ensure all your materials and handouts use clear and easy to understand language.

Cultural Competence: The third step is to assess your level of knowledge about disability and chronic illness cultural competencies. If you have not been trained on how to work with disabled individuals, seeking training is a good idea. It is important to understand the variety of needs individuals might have before you are required to meet those needs in the moment.

Although this article is focused on prevention programming accessibility, the advice applies to all public events and outreach. People with few close relationships and those experiencing social isolation are at a higher risk for experiencing struggles with substance misuse. It’s important everyone prioritize community accessibility in all areas of life.

Alcohol and Stress Awareness Month

by Erin Vallely, CANDLE Administrative Assistant 

Did you know April is alcohol and stress awareness month?  Research shows that individuals with disabilities are at a higher risk of experiencing alcohol misuse and related problems than those without disabilities. Contributing factors include social isolation, self-medication, mental health diagnoses, stigma, and a lack of accessible support and prevention services.   

While alcohol misuse often causes health problems such as dehydration, impaired coordination, cancer, heart problems, reproductive issues, and liver damage, people with disabilities are at a heightened risk for health complications.  For example, alcohol can negatively react with medications, make underlying health problems worse, and decrease the amount of energy people have for their day. 

The Cortland County Coalition on Cannabis & Alcohol: Neighbors with Disability & Lived Experience, or CANDLE, is a peer-led community group working to prevent and reduce substance misuse within Cortland’s disability community.  We are currently conducting our annual survey to collect data around local usage trends and community needs.  This ongoing data collection project helps our coalition stay current on local alcohol & cannabis use trends among people with disabilities in our area. Your responses support our efforts to reduce substance use rates by providing valuable insight into the risk & protective factors that make someone more or less likely to use (or misuse) substances. 

By anonymously sharing your experience, you help us determine which prevention strategies will be most appropriate and effective at reducing substance use rates here in Cortland County. Those strategies are then adapted by CANDLE to be universally accessible, ensuring that people with disabilities have the same access to prevention services as everyone else. 

Help ATI Make Prevention Accessible: COME TO ATI TO TAKE THE SURVEY

*CANDLE relies on community partners to help support our survey efforts. If you can assist with survey distribution through your agency, group, or business, please reach out to Ally McCabe, Project Director at candle@aticortland.org. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

What is CANDLE? 

The Cortland County Coalition on Cannabis & Alcohol – Neighbors with Disability & Lived Experience (CANDLE) is a group of community members dedicated to reducing substance misuse within Cortland County’s disability community. CANDLE is led by and for people with disabilities and aims to reduce alcohol & cannabis use rates by implementing universally accessible, community-based prevention strategies right here in Cortland. 

CANDLE is a program of Access To Independence of Cortland County, Inc. Our coalition receives technical assistance from NYS OASAS, data & media support from The Rural Health Institute of New York and is funded by an OASAS Partnership for Success grant via the Research Foundation for Mental Health (RFMH). 

How long is the survey? 

It is 22 questions long and takes about 10 minutes on average to complete. 

Who can take it? 

Anyone 18 or older who is currently living in Cortland County. If you took our survey in a previous year, you can take it again!  

Are my answers anonymous? 

Yes. All responses are voluntary and will remain confidential. Responses are analyzed as a group, not identified by individual. Following analysis, the collective results will be compiled into reports and made available for public viewing. CANDLE’s Community Survey is administered by The Rural Health Institute of New York. 

What if I need the survey in a different format? 

Accessibility is one of CANDLE’s biggest priorities! Our survey is available in multiple formats – please reach out to Ally McCabe, Project Director at candle@aticortland.org or call ATI at 607-753-7363 for assistance. 

Where can I find more information about CANDLE?  

To learn more or get involved with the coalition, visit our website at candlecoalition.org. 

Support Needed for CANDLE’s 2025 Community Survey 

By Ally McCabe, CANDLE Coalition Director 

It’s that time again! CANDLE’s community survey is now available* for 2025. 

This ongoing data collection project helps our coalition stay current on local alcohol & cannabis use trends among people with disabilities in our area. Your responses support our efforts to reduce substance use rates by providing valuable insight into the risk & protective factors that make someone more or less likely to use (or misuse) substances. 

By anonymously sharing your experience, you help us determine which prevention strategies will be most appropriate and effective at reducing substance use rates here in Cortland County. Those strategies are then adapted by CANDLE to be universally accessible, ensuring that people with disabilities have the same access to prevention services as everyone else. 

Help ATI Make Prevention Accessible: COME TO ATI TO TAKE THE SURVEY

*CANDLE relies on community partners to help support our survey efforts. If you can assist with survey distribution through your agency, group, or business, please reach out to Ally McCabe, Project Director at candle@aticortland.org. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

What is CANDLE? 

The Cortland County Coalition on Cannabis & Alcohol – Neighbors with Disability & Lived Experience (CANDLE) is a group of community members dedicated to reducing substance misuse within Cortland County’s disability community. CANDLE is led by and for people with disabilities and aims to reduce alcohol & cannabis use rates by implementing universally accessible, community-based prevention strategies right here in Cortland. 

CANDLE is a program of Access To Independence of Cortland County, Inc. Our coalition receives technical assistance from NYS OASAS, data & media support from The Rural Health Institute of New York and is funded by an OASAS Partnership for Success grant via the Research Foundation for Mental Health (RFMH). 

How long is the survey? 

It is 22 questions long and takes about 10 minutes on average to complete. 

Who can take it? 

Anyone 18 or older who is currently living in Cortland County. If you took our survey in a previous year, you can take it again!  

Are my answers anonymous? 

Yes. All responses are voluntary and will remain confidential. Responses are analyzed as a group, not identified by individual. Following analysis, the collective results will be compiled into reports and made available for public viewing. CANDLE’s Community Survey is administered by The Rural Health Institute of New York. 

What if I need the survey in a different format? 

Accessibility is one of CANDLE’s biggest priorities! Our survey is available in multiple formats – please reach out to Ally McCabe, Project Director at candle@aticortland.org or call ATI at 607-753-7363 for assistance. 

Where can I find more information about CANDLE?  

To learn more or get involved with the coalition, visit our website at candlecoalition.org. 

Join CANDLE at Cortland Prevention Resources’ “Mocktail Magic” Event

By Erin Vallely, CANDLE Coalition Administrative Assistant

Drinking any amount of alcohol comes with risks.  “Dry January” is a health movement that encourages people to not drink alcohol during the first month of the new year.  People choose not to drink alcohol for many reasons besides recovering from alcohol misuse.  Other reasons include not liking the taste of it, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, avoiding negative reactions from medications, saving money, and volunteering to be the designated driver.  Drinking alcohol has been connected to heart problems and cancer. 

CANDLE is supporting “Dry January” by sponsoring Cortland Prevention Resources’ “Mocktail Magic” event on January 16th at the Homer Center for the Arts.  A mocktail is a non-alcoholic drink that resembles a cocktail in appearance and taste.  Mocktails allow people to join their friends in an evening of fun without being left out of the fun of fancy drinks. 

At the event, local restaurant staff and attendees will compete to make the best mocktail. Attendees will vote for their favorite, and the best professional mocktail and best amateur mocktail will each be awarded a plaque.  Tickets are $25 each and semiformal attire is expected.  In addition to the competition, there will be a DJ and food. 

To learn more about the event and to buy your tickets, please go to https://familycs.org/events/mocktail-magic/k. 

We hope you will join us at the event! 

Substance Use and Disability: A Public Health Concern

Cortland County community members are aware that substance use is a critical public health issue locally and across the United States. However, many people don’t know about the connection between substance use and disability.

According to data from the 2022 Community Health Assessment (CHA), people with disabilities in Cortland County are using all substances except alcohol at higher rates than their peers. They also experience increased consequences from that substance use and are less likely to receive related services and treatment. This issue is particularly severe among disabled youth. The 2023 Cortland Youth Survey reveals that disabled teens in the county are using all substances, except alcohol, at higher rates than their non-disabled peers. They face increased consequences from substance use and are less likely to receive the mental health care they seek. Disabled teens also face more bullying—whether at school, online, or elsewhere—compared to teens without disabilities. These factors, coupled with higher rates of abuse, significantly increase their risk of developing substance use disorders.

Understanding Ableism and Its Impact on Disabled
Individuals in Cortland County

Ableism is the discrimination and prejudice against individuals with
disabilities. It manifests in various forms—ranging from denying access
to buildings and services, to overlooking the needs of disabled
individuals, to treating them with condescension. Ableist language can
also be particularly harmful, perpetuating negative stereotypes and
further marginalizing people with disabilities. The consequences of
ableism are profound, often limiting opportunities and preventing
individuals from fully participating in society. This exclusion frequently
leads to feelings of isolation, low self-esteem, and poorer overall health
and well-being.

Physical barriers further compound these challenges. Inadequate
accessibility in buildings and public spaces often makes it difficult for
disabled individuals to participate in social activities and engage with
others, leading to increased social isolation. This isolation can have
serious negative effects on both mental and physical health. People with disabilities are at a higher risk of experiencing abuse, which further
elevates their likelihood of substance use and the development of
substance use disorders.

The Role of Family Dynamics and Support

Family support is crucial at all life stages, but for individuals with
disabilities, family dynamics can sometimes be strained by the additional challenges that disabilities may bring. This strain doesn’t typically stem from direct hostility but rather from the increased demands placed on families in terms of time, work, and financial resources. Managing these needs can create tension within the family, potentially leading to less effective support for the disabled individual.

Addressing these issues is essential without reinforcing feelings of
burden among disabled individuals, who may already be sensitive to the challenges their needs pose to their families.

The Need for Inclusive Prevention Services

Disabilities affect how people see, hear, move, and think. While some
disabilities are visible, others—like ADHD, anxiety, and chronic
illness—aren’t always apparent. It’s important to note that disability itself is not a risk factor for substance use. However, the stress from
experiencing systemic ableism, combined with a lack of appropriate
services and supports, plays a significant role in increasing a person’s
likelihood of using substances.

Prevention services are a vital part of the solution when addressing
substance use among people with disabilities. Unfortunately, traditional
prevention programming is often inaccessible and rarely developed with the needs of disabled individuals in mind. This is where CANDLE – a
community coalition housed at Access To Independence – plays a crucial role, offering prevention services that are accessible and inclusive, ensuring that the needs of disabled individuals are met.

IMAGE ID: A magnifying glass highlights a young man laying in bed on his phone, the room behind him is cluttered with dirty clothes, loose energy drink cans and takeout. The rest of the image has a grid of people with different disabilities and their aids, including: a child with an Allergen Detection Dog, an older man with an oxygen tank, a young man with a cochlear implant talking to his doctor while using an interpreter, and two best friends food shopping together one has a cane and the other headphones.

The Spoon Theory Reality: Understanding How Disabilities Increase the Risk of Substance Use

Spoon Theory is a popular idea that uses spoons to represent the amount of physical and mental energy a person has for daily activities. Each spoon represents a set amount of energy and multiple spoons represent a person’s amount of energy for the whole day. The number of spoons a person has for each day depends on how they are feeling. When people do not “have enough spoons” to do something, it means they do not have enough energy.

Although everyone’s number of spoons changes from day to day, people with disabilities might always wake up with fewer spoons than non-disabled people do. Disabilities are physical and/or mental differences that impact how people see, hear, move, think, learn, communicate, handle emotions, and their daily needs. Even if people have the same disability, their symptoms and energy levels might be different from each other, or different from day to day.

Getting out of bed, taking a shower, cooking, working, and socializing all drain someone’s spoons. The same activity can even cost a different number of spoons – more energy – depending on the day.

For example, morning chores, or having friends over to watch a movie together, might cost one person half a spoon on one day and two whole spoons on another day.

Not knowing how many spoons you will wake up with, or the energy cost of activities from one day to the next, makes it hard to plan your day and meet other people’s expectations. Sometimes people do not have enough spoons and their plans for the day must change. When people get frustrated with their, or others’, energy levels, remember they are doing the best they can with the spoons they have.

Spoon Theory highlights how individuals with disabilities often start each day with fewer spoons, or energy, than those without disabilities. This constant challenge of managing limited energy can put individuals with disabilities at a higher risk for substance use. The strain of navigating daily activities with fewer spoons can lead some to seek relief through substances, as a way to cope with pain, fatigue, or emotional stress. However, while substances might provide temporary relief, they can further deplete spoons over time, creating a harmful cycle that is difficult to break. Individuals with disabilities face unique challenges that can make them more vulnerable to substance use, emphasizing the need for targeted support and understanding. By recognizing the increased risks and the complex relationship between disability, energy levels, and substance use, we can better support those who are managing these intertwined challenges.

IMAGE ID: A busy laundromat with a man sitting in his walker loading laundry, above his head a small energy bar already lowering in energy. Behind him a very tired young mom loads laundry while her full energy toddler sorts socks. An older man in the corner reads a magazine while waiting, his energy bar still high.

CANDLE Celebrates National Substance Use Prevention Month

By Erin Vallely, CANDLE Coalition Administrative Assistant

National Substance Use Prevention Month is celebrated every October. The goal is to raise awareness about substance misuse and share information about factors that decrease a person’s likelihood of using substances in harmful ways. Some common factors that decrease a person’s likelihood to use substances include healthy relationships with other people, community involvement, and education about the impacts and risks of substance misuse. To show your support for safe and healthy choices surrounding substance use, CANDLE encourages you to wear a red ribbon throughout the month.

Locally, CANDLE is excited to share we’ll be launching our first media campaign this month! We’ll be sharing information on our social media channels and in print to help educate the community on disability culture and substance use issues within the disability community. Help us spread the word by reacting to and sharing our content when you see it!

As always, this work would not be possible without your support and involvement. If you haven’t already, connect with us through these ways:

If you have questions or want to get involved as a coalition member, or partner organization, please contact us directly at candle@aticortland.org. We can’t wait for you to join us and look forward to connecting soon!

CANDLE Announces Official Website Launch

By Erin Vallely, CANDLE Coalition Administrative Assistant

Our peer-led CANDLE coalition is working to prevent and reduce substance misuse within Cortland County’s disability community. Disabilities affect how people see, hear, move, and think. Although some disabilities are easy to see, others, like ADHD and anxiety, are harder to see. As a program of ATI, most of our coalition members have lived experience with disabilities and/or substance misuse and public health.

After wrapping up our second annual community survey in June which focused on substance use rates and patterns within Cortland, we have been working hard behind the scenes to solidify our coalition goals and develop our web presence. After reviewing our data, we have agreed on the three main goals our coalition will be focusing our efforts towards:

  1. Reduce underage cannabis use among youth with disabilities
  2. Reduce underage drinking among youth with disabilities
  3. Reduce binge drinking among adults with disabilities

We plan to tackle these issues through educational campaigns, policy creation, and policy enforcement. We will also work with existing prevention services to ensure they are accessible to everyone, regardless of whether or not they have a disability.

We are also thrilled to announce the launch of our CANDLE Coalition website to the public! It’s now live and filled with information about our work. You’ll find an about page, blog, event calendar, resource page, and lots of ways to get connected and stay involved. Come check it out at https://candlecoalition.org/. We’ll be adding more content soon, so keep checking for new information and ways to get involved.

We can’t wait for you to join us and look forward to connecting soon!

“Love Where You Play” Stewardship Day & Alternative 4/20

By Ally McCabe, Project Director for CANDLE

CANDLE’s crew had so much fun volunteering at our local nature center last weekend! Lime Hollow was kind enough to host us during their annual Love Where You Play Stewardship Day, which served as a perfect “alternative 4/20” event for people of all abilities and ages.

If you’re not familiar with our local nature center you’re really missing out! ATI has partnered with Lime Hollow for years – in fact, our founder Fran Pizzola consulted on their original “Trails for All” initiative in the late 2000s. Not only is it still going strong today, they’re actively working to expand it.

Last weekend CANDLE helped out with a service project to make muddy trails more accessible by hauling and spreading mulch in areas that were collecting water. It was hard work but made a big difference! We were just a few of the more than 100 volunteers who came out to support Lime Hollow, with different groups working on various areas of the property to help get ready for spring visitors.

Once service projects wrapped up, we were invited to stay for a cookout and the kickoff performance of this year’s Red Oak Music Series. Coalition volunteers set up an outreach table and talked to attendees about CANDLE’s prevention work in the disability community.

To experience everything Lime Hollow has to offer for yourself, join ATI for our Trail Treats workshop on Tuesday, May 14th at 10AM. Alternatively, you can read more about Lime Hollow’s ongoing commitment to inclusion at limehollow.org/accessibility, limehollow.org/trails-for-all, and limehollow.org/trackchair.

CANDLE Continues Survey Efforts During Alcohol Awareness Month

By Ezra Kiki, CANDLE Data & Epidemiology Intern

As April marks the beginning of Alcohol Awareness Month, it provides us an opportunity to explore the impacts of alcohol misuse in our communities and society. With excess alcohol consumption contributing to one of the leading causes of preventable death, alcohol misuse awareness is the first step in overcoming this serious problem. In our local disability community, the CANDLE Coalition strives to reduce alcohol and other substance misuse through a data-based collection initiative. 

Community surveying efforts beginning in early March will continue until late June, where CANDLE’s Data & Epidemiology Team at RHI will assess the results and use them to generate a better picture of our community’s needs. 

Are you 18 or older? Do you live in Cortland County? Please consider supporting CANDLE’s prevention efforts by taking our 2024 Community Survey at this link! 

To help avoid bot activity, kindly DO NOT SHARE our survey on social media.  

Thank You!

Support Needed: Take CANDLE’s 2024 Community Survey!

By Ally McCabe, CANDLE Project Director

CANDLE is once again conducting a community survey that aims to analyze local usage trends of alcohol & cannabis (marijuana) among individuals with disabilities in Cortland County. The results of this survey will help inform our coalition’s ongoing substance use prevention work.

Are you 18 or older? Do you live in Cortland County? Please consider completing CANDLE’s 2024 Community Survey. You do not need to have a disability to take it, and if you took it last year, you can take it again!

We are also in need of community partners to help support our data collection efforts. If you can assist with survey distribution through your agency, group, or business, please email Ally McCabe, Project Director at candle@aticortland.org. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s CANDLE?

CANDLE stands for the Cortland County Coalition on Cannabis & Alcohol – Neighbors with Disability & Lived Experience. We are a peer-led coalition dedicated to reducing substance use and misuse within Cortland’s disability community. CANDLE is a program of Access To Independence of Cortland County and receives technical assistance & data support from The Rural Health Institute of New York (formerly CACTC).

How long is the survey?

It is 22 questions long and takes about 5 minutes on average to complete.

Who can take it? 

Anyone 18 or older who lives in Cortland County. You do not need to have a disability to take our survey. If you took our survey in 2023, please take it again!

Are my answers anonymous?


CANDLE’s 2024 Community Survey is being administered by The Rural Health Institute of New York. All responses are voluntary and will be confidential. Responses will not be identified by individual, rather, they will be compiled together and analyzed as a group. Following analysis, the collective results will be compiled into reports and made available for public viewing.

What if I need the survey in a different format? 

Accessibility is one of CANDLE’s biggest priorities! Our survey is available in multiple formats – please reach out to Ally at candle@aticortland.org or call ATI at 607-753-7363 for assistance.