I am a UA PhD candidate in anthropology and Sonoran UCEDD (SUCEDD) Diversity Fellow.  My research focuses on the social aspects of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), a common yet largely misunderstood injury sustained by nearly 2.8 million Americans every year, according to the latest figures from the CDC.

I had the opportunity to attend the 2017 Association for University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) Conference(link is external) in Washington, D.C. from November 5-8. Attending the AUCD conference was an incredible experience that gave me a new sense of confidence and left me even more committed to serving individuals with disabilities.

October is National Down Syndrome Awareness Month.
Sonoran UCEDD interdisciplinary trainee, CJ Bruske, shares his volunteer experience with iCan Bike Camp put on by iCan Shine, Inc.(link is external) and sponsored by the Southern Arizona Network for Down Syndrome(link is external) (SANDS) as part of his community reflections portfolio for our undergraduate certificate in developmental disabilities.

Thanks to the Sonoran UCEDD for sponsoring me to attend the National Task Group on Intellectual Disabilities and Dementia Practices train the trainer workshop on Fundamentals of Intellectual Disability and Dementia.  

According to the Spina Bifida Association of America, Spina Bifida is “the most common permanently disabling birth defect in the United States.” The disability is a neural tube defect, where the spine of the baby in the womb does not completely close.