Author Archives: Ally McCabe

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.

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!

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.

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.  

By Ezra Kiki, CANDLE Intern

With over 7 million Americans experiencing permanent vision loss and at least 1 million currently living with blindness, Low Vision Awareness month serves as an opportunity to better understand the risk & protective factors associated with some visual impairments and their effects on daily life.

Broadly speaking, the term “visual impairment” describes the result of a reduced capacity of eye functioning due to any number of health conditions. Low vision, a type of visual impairment, is characterized by increased difficulty in performing common everyday tasks that can be caused by eye diseases. Examples of these diseases include, but are not limited to glaucoma, cataracts, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and diabetic retinopathy. Some groups, particularly the elderly and those without access to adequate eye care services, are generally more susceptible to these diseases over time and thus comprise a larger proportion of the visually impaired population. As the vision loss accompanying these conditions is typically permanent, those affected often face challenges navigating everyday life, even with the aid of corrective lenses and surgery.

Many factors influence a person’s likelihood to experience vision loss. Among these are age, gender, race, the existence of chronic disease, genetic predisposition, and certain lifestyle habits like smoking. A person with preexisting disabilities may also be more likely to engage in behavior that induces vision loss – for example, substance use — to cope with their circumstances. Substances like cannabis, nicotine and alcohol have all been shown to negatively affect the eyes, especially with long-term misuse. Chronic alcohol consumption, for instance, facilitates the development of AMD as well as the formation of cataracts. When combined with tobacco, toxic amblyopia may occur leading to partial vision loss and loss of color vision.

Nicotine-based, non-tobacco marketed products like vapes and other e-cigs also increase inflammation in the eye and may cause effects contributing to vision loss, such as reduced blood flow to the organ. Regarding cannabis, evidence suggests chronic inhalation may affect depth perception, color sensitivity and overall visual perception, as well as lead to a general decrease in eye muscle function. The short-term use of these substances also compromises eye functions shortly following ingestion.

In addition to these, opioids like heroin and synthetic derivatives have been known to cause retinopathy and retinal ischemia leading to vision loss that may also be exacerbated by infections acquired from using contaminated needles. Depending on the severity of the infection, blindness may occur if it spreads to any of the essential structures of the eye and remains untreated. Low vision and blindness, in the younger population especially, can often be attributed to preventable causes. Regular eye care maintenance at home and through eye care services may help slow the progression of vision loss and help affected persons keep up with the demands of daily life. Limiting the excess and misuse of eye-harming illicit substances can be greatly beneficial in reducing the risk factors for certain vision disabilities.

Of course, vision loss is not always preventable. Like all people with disabilities, individuals who have low vision benefit from personalized accommodations, services, and supports in different areas of their lives. Those who may encounter someone with a vision disability (hint: everyone) can act as allies by understanding the dos & don’ts of interacting with blind or visually impaired people. Keep in mind that these are only guidelines — everyone is different! For those working in digital spaces, make it a priority to learn how to make your content accessible for everyone. Finally, if you or someone you know needs support or services related to any of the above, reach out to ATI or CANDLE and we’ll get you connected.

For more information on low vision and related eye conditions, explore the resources below.

General Education

• The Wide Spectrum of Visual Impairment
• Blindness is a Spectrum
• Low Vision and Blindness: Terms & Descriptions
• Low Vision At A Glance
• Your A-Z Guide for Social Media Accessibility
• 6 Ways to Make Your On & Offline Content Accessible
• Blog: Life of a Blind Girl
• Blog: Chloe Tear

• The New York State Commission for the Blind: About
• The New York State Commission for the Blind: Resource List
• National Federation of the Blind
• American Foundation for the Blind

Substance Use & Vision Loss

• Eye on Drugs: Substance Misuse & Eye Changes
• How Substance Misuse Affects the Eyes
• Illicit Drugs: Effects on Eye

Data

• Prevalence of visual acuity loss or blindness in the U.S.
• WHO global fact sheet on blindness & visual impairments

By Ally McCabe, Project Director, CANDLE Coalition

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.

As a peer-led coalition, our members know that disability and substance use disorders often occur together. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), people with disabilities are substantially more likely to develop substance use disorders than the general population, and we are also less likely to receive treatment for them.

Some studies have suggested that up to 60% of people in substance use treatment have some type of learning disability or difficulty. While research on the “big three” (dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia) and their relationship to substance abuse is limited, the connection is clear. One often-cited related statistic is that among adults with an alcohol use disorder, ADHD is 5-10 times more common than within the general population.

On the prevention side, people with all types of disabilities have historically been left out of traditional drug prevention efforts. That’s exactly what CANDLE is working to change! We are currently conducting a survey to gather information about local usage trends and community needs, the results of which will be used to develop comprehensive, universally accessible prevention campaign for people with all types of disabilities.

For more information about CANDLE, contact: Ally McCabe, Project Director | (607) 753-7363 | c[email protected].

By Ally McCabe, Project Director

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.

As part of this five-year project, CANDLE will be conducting regular surveys to collect data around local usage trends and community needs. Information gathered will be used to guide our coalition’s prevention efforts.

CANDLE was very excited to launch our first community survey during ATI’s ADA Celebration on July 26! The current survey aims to analyze usage trends of alcohol and marijuana among people within Cortland County. The Rural Health Institute of New York is overseeing all of CANDLE’s surveys, and responses are voluntary and will be confidential.

We will be collecting responses on an ongoing basis through the fall, and those who take the survey will receive a $10 gift card for their time! Survey-takers can choose between a physical gift card to one of ATI’s favorite local restaurants, New York Bagel Café & Deli, or an e-gift card to their choice of 11 major retailers.

CANDLE is also looking for community partners to help push out our survey. Have a space where we can set up a table for a day? Let us know! Do you work directly with clients or patrons who might be willing to take it? Reach out and we’ll get you set up!

If you or someone you know can help with survey administration, or if you live in Cortland County and would like to take the survey, please contact Ally McCabe, Project Director at 607-753-7363 or [email protected].