BJ Stasio
Art of Advocacy
“Mentoring is supporting people with disabilities to have the best life possible.”
We are proud to induct BJ Stasio into the Susan Daniels Disability Mentoring Hall of Fame.
BJ Stasio is a disability rights advocate from Buffalo, NY. He is the Co Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Self-Advocacy Association of New York State (SANYS), a position to which he was elected by his fellow self-advocates and peers around New York. He has also been employed by the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) for over 20 years, working on person-centered planning, voting issues, and self-determination training and education.
Additionally, he has served on the board of the National Federation for Just Communities of Western New York, the Disability History Museum Board, and has a non-profit organization, Buffalo Racin’, focused on getting people with disabilities involved in 5K races. BJ has been actively involved with direct advocacy to OPWDD during the COVID-19 public health crisis on behalf of SANYS, representing the voices of self-advocates across New York State. BJ is piloting an advocate training curriculum called Art of Advocacy with co-creator and long time friend, Max Donatelli.