Agriculture is a high-risk occupation with the incidence of work-related injury or death much above the general population. Hearing loss, disabling injuries, back problems, amputations, and chronic respiratory issues are just a few of the more obvious conditions farmers may find themselves experiencing. Other health issues include stress and anxiety, an aging farm population dealing with joint health issues, a disabling disease, such as cancer or heart disease, stroke, visual impairment, traumatic brain injury, or those who suffer with arthritis.
AgrAbility is a program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that provides assistance to farmers, ranchers, other agricultural workers, and farm family members impacted by disability—such as those outlined above. The vision of AgrAbility is to enable a high-quality lifestyle for farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural workers with disabilities. Through education and assistance, AgrAbility helps to eliminate or minimize the obstacles blocking success in production agriculture or agriculture-related occupations.
They also offer the following services as no cost to the customers: on-site assessment of barriers on the farm and home; recommending appropriate assistive technologies; providing educational materials and trainings; referring customers to other service providers for assistance specific to the customer’s needs; arranging peer support; and assisting military veterans seeking employment in agriculture-related occupations.
AgrAbility does not provide direct funding for equipment, but it does often work with other sources to help customers obtain the needed assistive technologies or modifications.
AgrAbililty also has high-quality informational brochures. Arthritis and Gardening is a guide for home gardeners and small-scale producers. Arthritis and Agriculture is a guide to understanding and living with arthritis in an agricultural setting.
If any of this news column rings true for you, then AgrAbility might be able to offer you some assistance or education allowing you to work longer or more pain-free in agriculture. The Kansas AgrAbility Project is a partnership of K-State Research and Extension, Southeast Kansas Independent Living, and Assistive Technology for Kansans. Contact them by calling 800-526-3648, or 785-532-2976. Learn more about The Kansas AgrAbility by vising their website at http://agrability.bae.ksu.edu. The National AgrAbility Project phone number is 800-825-4264; find them on their website at www.agrability.org; or contact them via email at [email protected].
