Executive Director Kate Weidman Speaks with CNYCentral About the Impacts of United Way of CNY’s Funding Cuts
During the summer of 2026, our longtime partner United Way of Central New York was forced to make some tough decisions due to declining donations. These decisions included cutting their funding to AURORA of Central New York, Inc. Our Executive Director Kate Weidman spoke with CNYCentral’s Isabel Dougherty on August 4, 2026 about the impacts on AURORA's offerings and how the public can help. Click the photo to watch the segment and read the web article.
AURORA’s Kelley Cooper Offers Deaf Perspective on ADA Pride Month
Our Director of Deaf Services, Kelley Cooper, was asked in a recent NewsChannel 9 (LocalSYR) piece about her perspective on Syracuse’s ADA Pride Month celebrations. Read the article by clicking on the photo.
Executive Director Kate Weidman on Onondaga County Libraries’ “Check It Out” Podcast
In early August 2026, AURORA of CNY Executive Director Kate Weidman joined Onondaga County Public Libraries’ Tom Walters and Yona Williams on the “Check it Out” podcast to talk about this year’s run of the bilingual spoken English and American Sign Language children’s story time, the “Bedtime Book Series!” Hear the full episode by clicking on the photo.
A copy of our submission to The Citizen as a guest column regarding How New Voting Laws Would Impact People with Disabilities
How New Voting Laws Would Impact People with Disabilities
GUEST COLUMN
Susan Gray, Blind Services Coordinator for AURORA of CNY
Submitted to The Citizen
Published June 23, 2026 - view the column as published in The Citizen here
One of AURORA of Central New York's core principles is "educate to advocate." Guided by this, we remain attentive to key issues within our communities to ensure that access and accommodations for our peers with sensory loss are protected. Aurora actively monitors state and federal legislation to assess its potential impact on peers with vision and/or hearing loss, and works to keep the community informed about developments of which they might not be aware.
Recently proposed acts by the federal government, including the SAVE Act and Make Elections Great Again Act, are designed to impose voter requirements that have the potential to impact the sensory loss community. Both federal bills were proposed recently to secure state and federal elections yet limit voter access through the below methods.
The SAVE Act
The SAVE Act proposes a new, separate voter identification card that requires the following documentation:
• Marriage certificate
• Divorce decree
• Death and re-marriage certificates
• Name change documentation
• Every address change, voting age to present day
• Citizenship verification
• Certified birth certificate
This proposal will also make it harder for voters to register and stay registered, as with any change in life circumstance, such as a move or marriage, re-registration would be required with all the above documentation for recertification.
The MEGA Act
With the MEGA Act, the administration has proposed changes to the absentee ballot process, citing concerns that these ballots are vulnerable to tampering and potential duplication, which could lead to voter fraud. The proposal would shift certain responsibilities from state-controlled voter rolls to the federal postal system, which could limit states' ability to manage and monitor their own voter registrations.
Additional provisions under consideration would further restrict access to mail-in voting. These measures are based on the administration's claims about security concerns associated with this widely used method of voting.
MEGA Act Requirements
• Proof of citizenship
• Proof of voter registration (SAVE Act ID)
• Federal voter roll maintenance
• Mailed ballots by close of polls
• Auditable paper ballots
MEGA Act Bans
• Ballot harvesting
• Rank choice voting
• Universal mail-in balloting
With the SAVE and MEGA acts, unfortunately the people most affected by these requirements include:
• People whose name does not match their original birth certificate
• Elderly who do not have certified documentation
• People without economic resources
• People without transportation
• Out-of-state college students
• People who travel during election cycles
• Married or divorced individuals
• Military servicemen and women out of the state or country
• People with disabilities, including print disabilities
Why Impose More Requirements to Vote?
While we understand that these acts are to reduce/eliminate voter fraud, we investigated research to see the issue the federal government is attempting to solve. A Brookings article on Oct. 28, 2024, used Heritage data going back 30 years and covering 32 elections in Pennsylvania, and found only nine cases of voter fraud. Additionally, the report found that fraudulent votes in Arizona over the last 25 years of elections was .0000845%. Most notably, no election outcome in the United States has ever been altered by ballot fraud. These statistics are backed by several other news outlets, including National Public Radio, the Associated Press, World Metrics, and Newsweek.
Voting Rights for All
America's democracy was founded on the power of the voice of its people; we must carefully consider proposed legislation that presents barriers to any American registered to vote, as that would be antithetical to its people's rights and privileges. The 15th, 19th and 24th amendments to the U.S. Constitution all strengthen voting rights for Americans, protecting the rights of voters and the manner in which they vote. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 heralded the legislation for accessible voting, allowing people with disabilities to have a way to vote independently. These acts might limit our rights under the Constitution and legislation: some of us don't have transportation, some of us have been married previously, and some of us don't have the economic resources to meet these requirements.
As we move into the next election cycle, citizens' right to equal access in voting should be a priority.
AURORA of CNY’s SUSAN GRAY ON THE SEASON 19 FINALE OF WCNY’S CYCLE OF HEALTH
Our very own Susan Gray, Blind Services Coordinator here at AURORA of CNY, was a guest on WCNY (PBS)’s “Cycle of Health” Season 19 Finale in July 2026! Susan shares her experience with multiple misdiagnoses and the tools available to support individuals after receiving life-changing medical news.
AURORA of CNY and Baldwinsville Lions Club Host Successful 2nd Annual Strides for Sight 5k
Local nonprofits serving those with vision and hearing loss host 5k raising awareness about vision loss and the essential services that support people living with visual impairments.
June 30, 2026 - AURORA of Central New York, Inc. (AURORA) and the Baldwinsville Lions Club held their 2nd Annual Strides for Sight 5k Run/Walk on Saturday, June 27, 2026, at Willow Bay at Onondaga Lake Park. Strides for Sight is a powerful community platform for raising awareness about vision loss and the essential services that support people living with visual impairments in Central New York.
The event brought together approximately 100 participants and volunteers of all ages and abilities – both in-person and virtually - to bring awareness to the daily challenges faced by individuals with vision loss while shining a spotlight on the critical role AURORA plays in promoting independence, accessibility, and inclusion. Through its intentional design to be accessible, Strides for Sight brought accessible cues, games and activities allowing people of all abilities- including those with vision loss- to fully engage, connect, and participate. This design showed the community an accessible event to better understand vision loss, fostering a more informed, compassionate, and inclusive community.
Erin Czadzeck, a blind participant who enjoyed the race with her family Saturday, says the race is a great way to showcase how blind and visually impaired Central New Yorkers can live fulfilling, meaningful lives alongside their sighted neighbors and friends. “I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of an event like this showing people that blindness is not a limitation, it’s just a different way of doing things. Being able to show the community we can live fulfilling lives and do things just like everybody else. Our end goal is the same, we just might go about it a little differently.”
AURORA Executive Director Kate Weidman says the event was very personal for her. “Today’s event was truly special—it perfectly reflects the inclusive Central New York community I want my children to grow up in. Participants of all abilities, whether blind or sighted, showed that there are no limits—whether it’s how fast you can go, running with a guide dog, or what it means to cross the finish line. By simply having the opportunity to fully participate, today’s 5K demonstrated that every event can be inclusive—bringing us all together to connect, celebrate, and have fun.”
Individuals seeking any of the low-to-no-cost services AURORA provides to those experiencing any stage of vision or hearing loss are encouraged to contact AURORA.
AURORA of CNY’s DAVID DEFRANCIS AND SUSAN GRAY ON WCNY’S CYCLE OF HEALTH
Check out our very own David DeFrancis and Susan Gray in their June 2026 appearance on WCNY (PBS)’s “Cycle of Health!” Watch their segment to hear an engaging discussion with Ophthalmologist Dr. Justin Dexter and host Dr. Rich O’Neill of eye health, vision loss, and the nexus between eye health professionals and the services we provide at AURORA of CNY.
AURORA of CNY Receives Generous $5,000 Donation from Acadia Insurance
June 10, 2026 - AURORA of Central New York, Inc. (AURORA) has supported individuals living with vision and hearing loss for over 100 years. Today, we were the ones receiving support to help us continue providing those services when we were visited by Chelsea Wilkinson and Patrick Miller from Acadia Insurance. They dropped by our office to make a generous $5,000 donation supporting AURORA's work! Chelsea's personal family experience with AURORA drove her desire to nominate us for consideration of Acadia's benevolent gifting:
"I chose to nominate AURORA of CNY because their mission is very personal to me and my family. My daughter is 8 years old and deaf, and we’ve had the opportunity to use AURORA’s services in the past. Having access to their resources and support has made a meaningful difference in helping her communicate, connect, and feel included.
As a parent, you want to know your child has support not just now, but as they grow. Organizations like AURORA provide that reassurance and play such an important role in making sure kids like my daughter have every opportunity to thrive. Supporting their work is something I truly believe in, both because of the impact I’ve seen firsthand and the difference they continue to make for families like ours in the community.."
Thank you to Chelsea, Patrick, and the entire Acadia team for supporting our life-changing work!
AURORA of CNY WELCOMES FULL-TIME CERTIFIED ORIENTATION AND MOBILITY SPECIALIST
Local nonprofit serving those with vision and hearing loss secures highly sought full-time trained professional dedicated to teaching individuals who are blind or visually impaired how to travel safely, confidently, and independently in their homes, schools, and our community.
June 9, 2026 - AURORA of Central New York, Inc. (AURORA) is proud to announce Mark Moniello has joined AURORA as a full time Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS), effective May 26, 2026. A COMS works with clients who are blind or visually impaired of all ages to improve spatial and sensory awareness, instruct on the proper use of travel tools, train clients on safely navigating their environment (crosswalks, public transportation, etc.), and ultimately build independence. Previously, Orientation and Mobility (O&M) services were offered by AURORA on a part-time basis.
Moniello is a recent graduate of Drexel University where he earned his Master of Science in Orientation and Mobility through its Department of Blindness and Low Vision Studies. The program teaches professionals how to instruct individuals with blindness or vision impairment to travel safely and independently. Moniello also recently earned his COMS designation from ACVREP, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing professional competency to ensure those who are blind or low vision receive services from highly qualified individuals.
For Mark, his professional O&M journey is very personal. “I would say the people that work in this field are doing it because they want to help people, specifically, with visual impairments. And something usually pushes them. For instance, I had a friend since high school who’s blind. He’s the reason I ended up getting into this.”
When describing his O&M style, Mark takes a very pragmatic approach, ensuring real-world effectiveness uniquely tailored to each individual he serves. “For instance, you’re on the corner of this street and this street, but they don’t necessarily know that. They have to memorize all that – and that’s what we do. We teach them where the bus stops are, how to recognize certain landmarks. The sound of this every time I walk past here, so now I know I’m here. Or maybe they have some limited residual vision, and they can see a pole that’s only in that spot at that time, and that lets them figure out exactly where they are so they can continue getting to where they want to be. The whole idea is to promote independence so that they can do these things on their own.”
“We are incredibly proud to increase our O&M services by bringing Mark on as full-time Certified O&M Specialist here at AURORA,” said AURORA Executive Director Kate Weidman. “The demand for O&M services right here in Central New York is high; investing in this area allows us to rise to the occasion and continue meeting the needs of our community.”
Individuals seeking O&M services - or any of the low to no-cost services AURORA provides to the community - are encouraged to contact AURORA.
In May of 2026, Executive Director Kate Weidman and Erin Czadzeck popped onto Bridge Street to share their excitement about the 2nd Annual Strides for Sight 5k Run/Walk.
Adaptive Easter Egg Hunt
On Saturday, March 28th, Aurora hosted an Adaptive Easter Egg Hunt for children who are blind or low vision, along with their sighted siblings.
This joyful, inclusive celebration was designed to give blind and low‑vision kids the chance to participate independently. AURORA used adaptive Easter eggs that emitted a 'chirp’, allowing the children to locate them on their own. Their sighted siblings also took part in the fun with colorful eggs of their own! It was a heartwarming event for families and a great way to kick off the spring season.
A special thank you to the Jim & Juli Boeheim Foundation for providing funding for the chirping Easter eggs!
Support Bill 1740
Have you ever had trouble reading your prescription label or seeing the picture on the side that indicates to take the medication with food?
Imagine you are one of our peers with vision loss, seeing these items on the prescription bottle would be impossible. Not being able to read the instructions, decipher one medication from another, or knowing dosage instructions poses a serious safety risk for our peers.
AURORA is supporting Bill S1740 in the State that would require pharmacies to offer those with vision loss a device that reads aloud everything listed on the bottle through a digital label placed on the bottom of the container. The label is scanned by the device and reads the information out loud.
We need your voice to help get this passed. Please join us in our support of Bill S1740 by contacting your local legislator (https://www.nysenate.gov/find-my-senator) and ask them to support the passing of this bill into law.
Christmas Tree at Ward O’Hara Agricultural & Country Living Museum
Auburn, NY
The CNY Insights peer support group of Cayuga County has been busy creating a blind themed Christmas tree for display at the Ward O’Hara museum this season. There will be over two hundred trees on display, with various themes. It is one of Auburn’s favorite holiday traditions-to stroll through the museum and view all of the creative displays.
During the month of October, the group hand made ornaments to decorate the tree. Here is a list of ornaments they made:
small stockings with the names of famous blind people on them
small white canes made of white and red pipe cleaners, with tiny pom pom tips and black grips
small guide dogs with mini red vests and black pipe cleaner harnesses
small “blind person area” signs crafted with yellow card stock and black sharpyee markers
lighted tree topper with the Aurora logo attached
Braille ornaments with festive notes, along with the written English translation
small Aurora branded magnifiers
small black sunglasses
red and white colored lights
red and white tree skirt
The museum is located at 6880 East Lake Road, Auburn, NY and is open from November 17th through December 31st, from 10AM-7PM, seven days a week. Hours change after December 31st, so be sure to check the website. Donations are accepted and gratefully appreciated for your visit. There are prizes for the favorite trees, so please come and vote for the AURORA tree!
Aurora of CNY is partnering with Whole Me Inc. and NTID in creating an ASL Internship program for NTID Interpreter students in their last year of coursework. This is a monumental step as both non-profit interpreter referral agencies build programming that provides support and training to new interpreters, introducing them to the CNY Deaf community. Our hope is create opportunity to build the interpreter pool in our area and to eventually attract ASL interns from other college programs.
Estee Lauder launches new Voice-enabled Makeup Assistant for Low Vision and Blind users
Susan Gray, Aurora’s PR and Outreach Specialist, gives her experience of using the newly launched Voice-enables Makeup Assistant by Estee Lauder…
First Line of Sight
Vision loss effects every aspect of a person’s life. Whether one is losing his sight gradually, all at once, or has been born without it, he must adapt his way of life to accommodate for the loss. People experience vision loss at all ages, so adaptations need to be made in homes, schools, places of employment, and around the community where one lives. While access and accommodations have become easier since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, asking for an accommodation is still challenging.
Cayuga Peer Support Social
Anyela’s Vineyard in Skaneateles hosted the Cayuga peer support group on Wednesday, July 19th, for a social outing. The group sampled wine and beer, shared appetizers and spent some much needed time relaxing and socializing.
The group is led by Felipe Rivera, Aurora Board Member, and group members attending were: Trisha Baron with her husband Jim, Susan Gray with her husband Rick, Lance Lyons, Ron Polkovitch, Brian Meis, Carolyn Rice, Judy Spingler with her husband Ron and Fran Watkins with her daughter Lisa.
The Cayuga group is looking forward to many more outings like this, as they are key to the strong bonds that peer support groups facilitate with their members and families. Isolation is one of the hardest issues our peers deal with, as vision loss takes them away from participating in social events. This often happens due to the inability to find transportation, unease navigating unfamiliar places and general discomfort in social settings. It is difficult to order food and drink when menus are not accessible. Anyela’s provided us with a host that read us our food and drink options, described the wines and beers, brought us our orders, and collected our payments-all at our table in a semi private room. They were extremely accommodating and went the extra mile to make our group comfortable.
If you ever find yourself on the west side of Skaneateles Lake, pay them a visit.
A big thank you to our drivers: Rick Gray, Ron Spingler and Fran’s daughter Lisa
If anyone is interested in joining the Cayuga peer support group, please contact Susan Gray at Aurora of CNY at 315-422-7263. meetings are held the last Friday of the month at Cayuga Community College in the NUCOR room from 10AM- 11:30AM. Anyone with vision loss and their families or friends is welcome to join us.
SCAT Van Training
Born out of an uncomfortable experience involving a blind rider and new SCAT van driver, Susan Gray called Sue Van Epp at the SCAT van offices in Auburn to talk about her experience, and offer assistance through Aurora for driver trainings. These trainings are on an annual basis and Aurora goes to the office to talk about the methods to assist a blind rider, including sighted guide and communication. Drivers are then asked to spend a few minutes paired up, practicing sighted guide technique. The trainer then brings the drivers out to one of the vans, and has the drivers put on vision simulation goggles, and with a white cane in hand, attempts to board the van and get seated and belted in. Many of the drivers come back off the van with a new appreciation of the difficulty blind riders experience during this exercise. They express their discomfort or even fear at having to climb the steps and find a seat, not knowing if the seat is already occupied. It is a good illustration of the communication someone blind needs from the driver while riding the van.
For more information on SCAT Van Training click here
Laying the Groundwork for a Healthier Community
AURORA is honored to be selected as a Cabrini Health Foundation 2022 grantee receiving close to $150,000 for outreach to the most vulnerable communities in Onondaga and Oswego County. The project will be called Project HELP which stands for Healthy, Engaged Lives in Progress. The goal is to address barriers to healthcare for underserved individuals in our community who are experiencing poverty, geographic isolation, age or chronic health conditions that affect vision or hearing health. To accomplish this, we will work with other community partners like Emmaus Ministry to offer vision and hearing screenings, health promotional events, aids and devices and make connections to the Liberty-AURORA Eye Center and other healthcare resources in our community.
The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation is a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the health and well-being of New Yorkers, bolster the health outcomes of vulnerable communities, eliminate barriers to care, and bridge gaps in health services. Named after a tireless advocate for immigrants, children, and the poor, the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation funds programs and initiatives across New York State that either provide direct healthcare services or address the social determinants of health. For more information, visit https://www.cabrinihealth.org/
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