— by Robert Gawel
Accessible Activities in Western New York
A
s the weather turns colder,
families caring for a loved
one with a disability often find
themselves struggling to fend off cabin fe-
ver after being cooped up indoors all win-
ter. Fortunately, for all of us who keep their
eyes peeled for fun and accessible events in
the community, things are getting better all
the time.
All over Western New York, the event
calendars are filling up with something for
everyone, disabled or not! Let’s take a look
at just a few of the accessible activities and
locations that families can enjoy this winter.
Empower
Ability
Inspire Advocate
Special
Needs
miles of easy-to-navigate trails to explore,
which are home to birds and animals of all
types. Located near the Buffalo waterfront,
Tifft Nature Preserve is open year round
and is a great place to experience nature
at its finest. Plan your trip by visiting their
website at www.tifft.org.
Holiday Valley. No one needs an ex-
cuse to make the drive down to the quaint
confines of Ellicottville, New York, but
for families with a disabled loved one, the
Lounsbury Adaptive Ski Program at Holi-
day Valley is a great reason. The Loun-
sbury Program caters to individuals with
cognitive and physical challenges and features lessons (by res-
ervation) for beginner students. Getting out and embracing the
weather by learning to ski is a wonderful family activity. For
more information, visit their page at www.facebook.com/Loun-
sburyAdaptive.
Potential Thri
Growth Strategies
Tifft Nature Preserve. A great daytime getaway in any
season, Tifft Nature Preserve is a 264-acre refuge featuring five
Buffalo Zoo. It doesn’t have to be summer to enjoy a family
outing to the Buffalo Zoo. There are activities planned through-
out the year, like Breakfast with Santa coming this December.
If you haven’t visited the Buffalo Zoo recently, you are missing
out on one of Buffalo’s hidden gems. Plan your trip here, www.
buffalozoo.org.
Darwin Martin House. If your family is looking for some-
thing different, then a visit to the Darwin Martin House should
fit the bill. There is a one-hour accessible tour, which can ac-
commodate wheelchairs that are 30 inches wide or less. With
six buildings and over 30,000 square feet to explore, the Frank
Lloyd Wright-designed Martin House complex is an architec-
tural gem that can warm up any winter day. Learn more at www.
darwinmartinhouse.org.
Canalside. Buffalo’s newest attraction on the waterfront is
a fun place to visit year-round. In the wintertime, skaters of all
ages can be found gliding on the huge sheet of ice on the canals
or eagerly sipping hot chocolate while watching the activities
below. Canalside continues to add events and activities as their
winter calendar begins to take shape. They do offer visitors stan-
dard ice walkers for support, but if your loved one needs a dif-
ferent type of support, adaptive ice skating equipment is sold lo-
cally at glidingstars.org. For more information about upcoming
Canalside events, visit www.canalsidebuffalo.org.
Bowling. While not as popular as it has been in years past,
getting the family out for an afternoon of bowling is still as fun
64 WNY Family December 2018