When the Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities enters into a partnership with another organization, we strive to ensure that everything is done in the spirit of collaboration. Rather than imposing our own ideas of what works, we keep communication open at every opportunity, so that our partners can best inform us of what they need and we can work towards a solution together. 

The Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities is a proud partner of the Annual African American Conference on Disabilities (AACD) and has been a formal and informal sponsor since its inception more than a decade ago by co-founders Renaldo Fowler and David Carey.

This past month, the University of Arizona Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities, the Southern Arizona Network for Down Syndrome, and Tucson Village Farm partnered to host a vegetarian cooking class program. The class was designed to be inclusive and intergenerational, with participants’ ages ranging from 11 to 80.

The University of Arizona Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities was a proud sponsor of the Big Game weekend SuperFest event in Peoria, Arizona on Saturday, February 11, 2023. The football and cheerleading clinic, in support of The Matthew Foundation, is held with the purpose of showcasing inclusion, while providing an opportunity for youth with developmental disabilities the chance to participate together with their peers.

The University of Arizona Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities is proud to introduce our new Program Manager for Native Initiatives: R. Joshua Drywater. We sat down with Josh to discuss the path that led him to the Sonoran Center, the talents and goals he brings to our team, and what’s coming up next.

Last May, we introduced you to our director of community education and outreach, Brandy James, PhD, who was just starting out her time at the University of Arizona Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities. Now, almost a year later, we’re returning to look at her exciting new developments.

On November 29, 2022, the journal Disability & Society published a research paper by the Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities’ Austin Duncan.

The works showcased a number of local artists working with ArtWorks, including Paul McLaughlin, who also happens to be an event assistant for the Sonoran Center. His piece, Different Techniques, brought a playful, colorful touch to the event.

Last month, we covered the Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities’ employment Initiatives for transition-aged youth. Now we’re going behind the scenes to highlight the dedicated team members making it all possible.

Every person lives at the intersection of identities: age, class, gender, religion, and all the things that play a huge part in how we move through the world. For Anya Carillo, standing at the intersection of Native youth and disability identities is an opportunity to tell her story while helping others find their own voice.