About

Fly on a Wall is the online source for the special-needs community. We’re building a powerful chronicle of lives from all around the globe, and we would love to hear your story.

Each of us longs to be a fly on a wall of another’s life. To bear witness but also to momentarily switch roles, to hear our echo and see our movements mirrored in someone else’s narrative is to assimilate our own lives more truthfully because we know we are not alone. And though one fly is a small creature, together the stories we generate can create quite a buzz.

We all have a story to tell. Fly on a Wall believes in the power of storytelling to bring the special-needs community together. We are more alike than we are different. Whereas walls can isolate, they can also enfold. Fly on a Wall hopes you will feel inspired and emboldened to give another family, individual or group the gift of your own story.

As we grow, we will also share ideas, resources and adventures. In doing so we hope to make the way smoother for those who come after us, and through our experience, knowledge and expertise, to build human capital that will make us stronger.

The Team:

	Peter Hawley Creator I am a filmmaker and the head of the Film & Broadcast Department at Tribeca Flashpoint Media Arts Academy in Chicago.
	Rose Spinelli Producer Working as a freelancer, or on a magazine staff as editor, I’ve been a journalist for many years. Whenever possible I’ve worked in film and video, too, as a writer, producer, and, in the case of my documentary”Baking Bread,” as director. What I love about both media–visual arts and print–is being allowed into people’s lives. That they tell me their stories and then entrust me with the assignment of interpreting their narrative is a responsibility I take to heart. Having already been to the Special Olympics World Games in Dublin, which was a spectacular experience, I feel I know the ropes and am ready to work.
	Bonnie McGrath Advisory Board Member Bonnie McGrath is a lawyer, a journalist and a teacher living in Chicago with her 28 year-old autistic daughter Molly. She serves on a number of boards and is active in her community. Molly is an artist at Project Onward and she loves yoga, Zumba dance and horseback riding. Together they go to movies and plays, Their full and productive lives prove that Bonnie’s hard work and commitment to her daughter has paid off.
	Kristin Hertko Social Media Bio coming soon!
	Ashley Alden Advisory Board Member Ashley works at Tribeca Flashpoint Media Arts Academy in Chicago. She loves running with her dogs, cooking and napping on Sundays. She graduated with her Master’s in Counseling and has counseled children on the autism spectrum. She has volunteered for several Special Olympics and currently serves as a volunteer for Envision, a Chicago based non-profit organization that supports over 1,500 children and adults with developmental disabilities. Ashley is honored to be part of such an amazing project, “Fly on a Wall”.
	Adam Salasek Web Designer Adam is an active freelance filmmaker, web designer, and educator. He enjoys collaboration on creative projects, and is excited about the opportunity to be a part of “Fly on a Wall”. Growing up with an aunt with special needs, he finds this project to be not only useful, important, and engaging, but also absolutely necessary.