Ben's Bells: Tucson doctor is belled for his work helping people with disabilities

What: Ben’s Bells promotes kindness and community involvement. Each week a person who makes Tucson better is “belled.”

Last week’s recipient: Dr. Burris “Duke” Duncan.

Nominated by: Mitch Marcus.

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Why: For his commitment to public health education and initiatives in our communities. Duncan is a faculty member at the University of Arizona College of Public Health. Before retiring from private practice and joining the UA, his practice was primarily geared toward children with special health-care needs, cerebral palsy and micronutrient deficiencies. Duncan mentors master level students and teaches undergraduate and graduate students of public health. Following a border conference on disabilities in Nogales, Mexico, he helped create ARSOBO, a cross-border collaboration to help individuals with disabilities return to society. People with disabilities construct medical devices for others that they themselves use. For example, those who use wheelchairs construct wheelchairs and those with a prosthetic limb fabricate prosthetics. “Dr. Duncan is an inspiration. Kindness, along with helping others, is his life’s work,” Marcus wrote.

For more information and to nominate someone: Go to bensbells.org/BellingForm to submit a name. Go to bensbells.org or call 622-1379 for more information.