What began at the Border Conference on Disabilities has grown into a cross-border mission to restore mobility, independence, and opportunity.
Our Story.
Where It All Began
In 2008, Sonoran UCEED (the University of Arizona’s Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities) and Desarrollo Integral de la Familia (DIF) Nogales sponsored a Border Conference on Disabilities that was held in Nogales, Mexico. The plan was not just to have a conference but to leave something behind after the conference concluded.
What resulted was a construction shop in Nogales, MX that would build all-terrain wheelchairs for people with disabilities. RoughRider was designed by Ralf Hotchkiss for the rough terrain that is so prevalent in developing countries.
From left to right: David Werner, author of Where There Is No Doctor; Ralf Hotchkiss, inventor of the RoughRider wheelchair and co-founder of Whirlwind Wheelchair International; and Gabriel Zepeda, ARSOBO's expert craftsman who continues building customized RoughRider wheelchairs for people across northern Mexico.
Building a Cross-Border Organization
Over the next several years, multiple partnerships including universities, governmental agencies, private companies, and individuals from both sides of the border joined to form ARSOBO (ARizona SOnora BOrder Projects for Inclusion). ARSOBO is now a non-governmental organization (NGO) with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status established on the U.S. side with a ‘sister’ NGO in Mexico.
ARSOBO developed sequentially in three phases:
2009 | Restoring Mobility
ARSOBO opened its first workshop to build all-terrain wheelchairs, employing skilled technicians who are wheelchair users themselves.
2013 | Expanding to Prosthetics
As a result of partnerships, grant funding, and donations, ARSOBO expanded into prosthetics and orthotics, training technicians to fabricate prostheses directly in Nogales.
With that training, the time a person receives a prosthesis decreased from 2 months to 3-4 days
ARSOBO has been working with the Technical University in Nogales, Sonora to create 3D computerized prosthetic upper extremities
2015 | Improving Hearing Access
In partnership with the University of Arizona, ARSOBO opened its Hearing Health Clinic.
Faculty and Ph.D. candidates from the Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences Department now conduct hearing clinics to evaluate hearing needs and provide appropriate hearing aids.
From 2009 to 2026, ARSOBO
Trained and hired 22 individuals with disabilities
Constructed more than 735 all-terrain wheelchairs
Fabricated more than 839 orthotics & prosthetics
Treated more than 140 patients with physical therapy
Distributed more than 740 hearing aids
Contact
We’re always looking for new opportunities to collaborate to further the mission of inclusion. Please write us and ARSOBO will contact you.
Phone
U.S. Office: +1 (520) 907-7865
Mexico Office: +52 631 314 0136