The year 2020 was a very big and overwhelming year for many reasons, but one of the great ones is that it was a major year for social justice. Due to the tragic death of George Floyd the country erupted in protest police brutality led by the Black Lives Matter movement.  Cities from every state held marches and sit-ins making their voices heard.

On July 15, the “Backpacks & Boosters” Community Health and Wellness Fair— open to all and designed with accessibility for the disability community in mind—offered free immunizations, school supplies and other resources from 9 a.m. to noon at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Innovation Building. 

My passion for disability comes from my own lived experience. From a young age, I was diagnosed with ADHD & placed on an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) throughout my K-12 career. With this came some challenges & hurdles, including having to repeat grades & not meeting my grade milestones. 

Sonoran Center staff and affiliated faculty had a busy month showcasing their impactful work at disability conferences across the country.

When I was five years old, I was diagnosed with a disability. Being diagnosed with a disability early on forces you to understand and work within the systems that are in place. That can include accessing transportation, navigating an extremely complex healthcare system, and accessing education through complex means.

Corinne Winsten is a current medical student at the UArizona College of Medicine – Phoenix who participated in the program from 2019 through 2020. We caught up with her to reflect on her time in the program, see how the program has helped her, and find out what’s next for her.

On Saturday, April 29, the Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities participated in the 2023 Self Advocates Conference. The conference, which took place online over Zoom, brought together dozens of disability self-advocates and allies from across the country.

This year’s virtual Youth Disability Summit, themed Reclaiming Traditional & Creation Stories of Indigenous Youth with Disabilities, highlighted voices of American Indian youth with disabilities and focused on aspects of American Indian life, history, culture and heritage that can help youth address today's challenges.

Wendy Parent-Johnson, Ph.D., grew up in Buffalo, NY, and from middle school through college, she lived in the place she calls home, Richmond, Virginia. She is the Director of the University of Arizona Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities, a role she has held since November 2018.

Jacy Farkas, MA, ABD, assistant director and director of training for the Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities was awarded a Catalyst Seed Grant through UArizona Health Science's Vertically Integrated Projects for her project, DISCAPAZ: Disability Experiences in the Borderlands.