News

This March 15th virtual dialogue hosted by the White House—which included Sonoran Center's elder advisor Treva Roanhorse, administrative affiliate Jim Warne, and Native youth leader Anya Carillo as panelists—provided perspectives from Native individuals (including youth) on the values of community-driven solutions in supporting Native students with disabilities.

Among ongoing activities in northern Mexico, two notable international donations of RoughRider wheelchairs took place recently: one in the Busoga region of Uganda, and the other to the Pascua Yaqui Tribe in Southern Arizona.

In July, the Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities was awarded a 12-month grant from the Arizona Developmental Disabilities Planning Council to support the Pregnancy and Parenting with a Disability project.

The Autism Society of Southern Arizona recognized the UArizona Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities and the College of Engineering for creating a new internship program.

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.