The Sonoran UCEDD's first Border Conference on Disability in 2008 held in Nogales, Sonora led to the creation of ARSOBO (Arizona – Sonora – Border), a non-governmental organization which constructs low cost durable medical equipment for people with disabilities on both sides of the Arizona-Mexico border. ARSOBO is currently constructing standard and custom-built all-terrain wheelchairs.
Community Living
ARSOBO - Low Cost Durable Medical Equipment Project
ArtWorks – Art Studio & Day Program
ArtWorks is a day program and art studio providing instruction in the arts and life skills to adults with disabilities, in a setting where all persons are respected and valued. ArtWorks provides adults, ages 22 to 70 with primarily intellectual disabilities and autism, an opportunity to develop their artistic potential while learning social skills, self-care and independence in a culturally-diverse setting.
AZ Community Living NOW
Arizona Community Living NOW, designed and administered by the Sonoran UCEDD and supported by grant funds from the Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (DDPC), addresses the important issue of how to give families the information they need to create affordable and accessible community living situations for themselves and their family members with developmental disabilities.
Person-Centered Initiative
Informed choice and being a respected part of the community are crucial quality of life issues for people with DD and their families. The Sonoran UCEDD is committed to increasing person-centered thinking and practices throughout the state of Arizona to enhance the quality of life of individuals with DD.
Project I-AADAPT: Identify and Address Alzheimer’s and Dementia in Adults with IDD through Prevention and Training
Project I-AADAPT identifies and addresses Alzheimer’s and Dementia in adults with IDD through prevention and training. Over the next two years, Project I-AADAPT will address an emerging trend and the associated challenges of aging individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) – the early onset of Alzheimer’s disease and detecting dementia symptoms with pre-existing cognitive and neurological conditions. Trainings on Dementia Capable Care will be held throughout Arizona to improve awareness and knowledge on dementia and IDD among caregivers, service providers and medical professionals.
Project Together
Project Together supports opportunities for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to articulate grief at the death of a parent caregiver or a close family member through art making at the University of Arizona ArtWorks Studio. This project aims to enhance, implement and evaluate a 10-week expressive arts curriculum that facilitates a group process working through bereavement. Our approach utilizes expressive arts to remove communicative barriers between persons with different types and levels of disabilities. Through peer-based, creative interactions, we develop strong and supportive community membership.
Untold Stories
The University of Arizona Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities’ UnTold Stories of Sexual Abuse and Violence project needs your help. This research project aims to gain a clearer understanding of the incidence, context, and impact of sexual abuse on the lives of persons with I/DD/A.