When I joined the Sonoran Center undergraduate certificate program, I knew I wanted to find something that I connected with. The Sonoran Center is partnering with Campus Recreation and the Autism Society of Southern Arizona to launch a pilot swim camp for adolescents with autism.

The Sonoran Center’s postdoctoral scholar Austin Duncan, PhD, and his research team have recently completed the first phase of a pilot study on a swim camp for Autistic kids and teens ages 10 to14. The swim camp is designed to give the participants a sensory-sensitive environment for them to have fun, stay active, and socialize with other kids like them.

This month we are turning the tables to shine a spotlight on the man behind the keyboard—Drew Milne. Drew is the content coordinator for the Sonoran Center, and has been responsible for writing countless articles highlighting the work of others, including our recurring Staff Spotlight series. Now, in honor of Autism Acceptance Month, we are proud to give Drew his time to shine! We sat down to get to know Drew and learn more about his experience as part of the Sonoran Center team.

In October 2023, the Sonoran Center and student partners established the University of Arizona Autistic and Neurodivergent Student Association (ANDSA). Now, ANDSA is thriving.

In this new report titled Elevating Refugee Perspectives about Access to Disability Services in Arizona, Sonoran Center researchers highlight ways that disability services may not be accessible to refugees and identified ways to make the service system more accessible.

Jacy K. Farkas received the Young Professional Award at the annual conference of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities.

While earning my undergraduate certificate in Developmental Disabilities with the University of Arizona Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities, I learned that the disability community is often left out of opportunities to be involved in innovative research.

On January 31, several UArizona College of Medicine – Tucson Department of Family and Community Medicine faculty participated in Addressing Refugee Health Disparities: Exploring Refugee Health Programs at the University of Arizona, an inaugural conference dedicated to improving the resources available for refugees in Arizona. The conference was an excellent opportunity for sharing resources, networking, and collaboration among organizations serving refugees in Arizona.

During my time as an undergraduate intern at the Sonoran Center, I had the pleasure of working closely with Dr. Lynne Tomasa. Lynne asked me if I was interested in writing a section for the workbook on topics I had been researching. I was ecstatic and could not believe I was presented the opportunity to do something like this as an intern.

n celebration of Black History Month, on February 14 and 15 the African American Conference on Disabilities (AACD) held a virtual preview with four sessions. The virtual preview, hosted by Disability Rights Arizona (formerly known as the Arizona Center for Disability Law) with support from the Sonoran Center, attracted attendees from around the world and offered a look into the informative and unique experiences that will be present at the in-person conference to be held in June.