Welcome to the Sonoran UCEDD

Announcements

Sonoran UCEDD Joins National Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network Project

The Sonoran UCEDD Project I-AADAPT (Identify and Address Alzheimer's and Dementia in Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities through Prevention and Training) is joining the Arizona Center on Aging for ECHO National Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network project.

The ECHO National Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network project is funded by the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality, and led by the ECHO Institute at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center.

This one-year program, in collaboration with local and national experts, provides training and support to nursing home staff in Arizona on best practices for protecting patients, staff and visitors from COVID-19 infection and spread.

Nationally 15-16.5 percent of nursing home residents are younger than 65 years old, a majority of which are individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).

Yumi Shirai - A smiling Asian woman wearing glasses with long, dark hair.

To ensure appropriate and equitable support are addressed for the unique needs of people with I/DD who are residing in nursing home, Dr. Yumi Shirai will join weekly virtual learning and resource sharing sessions with other content experts from a wide range of clinical and health education fields (infectious disease control, geriatric, palliative care, quality improvement specialist).

Photo: UArizona Sonoran UCEDD Affiliated Faculty member Yumi Shirai will ensure individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are represented in the ECHO National Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network project.

Now Available! COVID-19 Vaccine Information in Plain Language

Logo for the Arizona Developmental Disabilities Network The Arizona Developmental Disabilities Network has developed a plain language document about the COVID-19 vaccine.

Please feel free to download and share with friends, family, co-workers and anyone in your network.

The Arizona Developmental Disabilities Network is comprised of the following organizations: Northern Arizona University Institute for Human Development, Arizona Developmental Disabilities Planning Council, UArizona Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities, Arizona Center for Disability Law, The Arc of Arizona, and the Native American Disability Law Center.

UCEDD Peer Mentor Joins Arizona Center for Disability Law Board of Directors

We are excited to announce Gabe Martinez, program aide and peer mentor for the Sonoran UCEDD, was appointed to the Arizona Center for Disability (ACDL) Board of Directors. Gabe - A young man wearing glasses sitting at a desk and typing on a laptop.

Since March, Martinez has helped to bring his unique perspective to products, materials and trainings. As a frequent panelist and presenter, Martinez gives young people and people with disabilities the encouragement and vital skills necessary to pursue their goals.

In his role on the ACDL Board of Directors, Martinez will be responsible for reviewing and voting on ACDL financial expenditures and budget projections throughout the year, making sure that the ACDL content being disseminated is necessary and accessible, and providing overall supervision of ACDL’s Executive Director.

Additionally, Gabe serves on the ACDL Development Committee, which is responsible for holding events and creating materials to engage current and potential donors.

"Gabe is an unfailingly positive team member who is always willing to lend a hand," says Kim Rogan, office manager and executive assistant for the Sonoran UCEDD. "We are so incredibly proud of him."