As parents of young adults with disabilities, our vision is to create a community for independent living that encourages socialization, stability and long-term viability. Unfortunately, this type of community-based living does not currently exist in Western New York for our special needs adults.
We came together after realizing that we had a shared vision and as parents, were left to create this type of living situation on our own. This was not an easy task, as we have been immersed in the special needs community for years and have explored all of the options available in our community.
Our vision includes apartment living where residents live in one and two-bedroom apartments, yet share common spaces to include a multipurpose room and others within an integrated community.
We are thrilled that this shared vision has been met with both support and enthusiasm, in and outside of our IDD community. With this momentum, we are determined to make this type of independent living community a reality for our special needs families in Western New York.
Ellen Pachioli
