Who We Are

Man in wheelchair fishing. He is behind a metal railing with a cutout for accessible fishing.
Woman with limb differences seated on a dock with arm around a girl with a trach and limb differences; kayaks in the background
A girl in bike helmet rides a recumbent three-wheeled cycle while a guy in an RAA shirt walks beside her, one hand guiding the handlebars

VISION
A society where recreation, sports, and tourism are fully accessible to and inclusive of people with and without disabilities, always.

How RAA started:

Our organization started in 2015 when a group of 26 community members gathered to find solutions to a recurring problem:

People with disabilities do not have the same access to participating in health and wellness activities as their peers without disabilities.

Families having a member with a disability often cannot sign up for the same community activities because those places and programs are not able to meet the needs of each of them.

People with disabilities and their families and friends need and want to be healthy together.

RAA has created a unique model of inclusion services—one that removes the barriers and empowers leaders in health and wellness arenas to become a part of the solution. 

RAA exists to reshape places where inclusion isn’t happening, to empower these spaces to operate with full inclusion of people with and without disabilities whenever their doors are open for business.

A graphic of figures in a row, some in wheelchairs, some with prosthetic limbs, one with dark glasses and a white cane, one in headphones, and one using crutches

Meet our team:​

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Anita O’Brien, MA, CTRS

RAA Founder and Executive Director

Anita O’Brien, M.A., is a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist with 27 years of experience working with individuals with disabilities, and helped found Rochester Accessible Adventures. Anita serves as a member of the Community Advisory Committee at the University of Rochester’s Center of Excellence for People with Disabilities, and the DEC/APA Accessibility Advisory Committee. She is a longtime member of Genesee Valley Parks and Recreation Society, New York State Recreation & Parks Society, and New York State Therapeutic Recreation Association. Anita has lived in Rochester since 2000, working to bring opportunities in sports and recreation to individuals and families with disabilities and medical conditions. She is passionate about building relationships within the community which serve to connect people with resources, remove systemic barriers to recreation and sports, and build communities that embrace inclusion. And she loves spending time reading, hiking and camping with her family and blue-eyed husky hound, Alice.

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Dee Mascari

Inclusion Specialist

Dee Mascari is a long-time RAA volunteer and community advocate. She is a Certified Inclusivity Assessor and has 20+ years of experience in dementia care, education, and recreation. Dee has both personal and professional connections to the critical need for physical accessibility and social inclusion in our communities. Dee is fully engaged as our team works towards RAA’s mission to ensure equitable access to recreation and sports for individuals living with a disability or medical condition. Dee joined the RAA team as an employee in 2021 after having volunteered for a number of years and serves as an inclusion specialist and as our volunteer coordinator. Dee’s recreational pursuits include being outdoors gardening, walking, cycling, swimming, and kickboxing. She enjoys reading, baking, entertaining, cooking, house projects and watching a good football game with her husband, two adult sons, and her bulldog.

Board of Directors

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Gwen Van Laeken

Chair

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Julie Cataldo

Vice Chair

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Pamela Kennard

Treasurer

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Dr. Susan Hetherington

Secretary

Linkedin
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Dr. Season Bonino

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Betty Dolce

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Andrea Long

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Xavier Major

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Dr. J.J. Mowder-Tinney

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Dr. Michael Seils

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Jill Wiedrick

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Kathy Weber

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Susan Shepard

Additional Committee Members

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Liza Beardsley

Storytelling

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Ryan Hohensee

Storytelling

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Rich Mackey

Fundraising

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Shelley Long

Finance

Volunteers

Our many fabulous volunteers are a vital part of our organization.

Learn More
A group of people, some standing and some seated in wheelchairs, hold RAA banners and a banner from Mtn Dew Outdoor Grants. Snow is on the ground and Rochester's city skyline is behind them.

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