AgrAbility Virginia

“Promoting success in agriculture for people with disabilities and

their families.”

Why is AgrAbility Needed?

• Farming/ranching is one of the nation’s most hazardous occupations.

• Nationwide, approximately 288,000 agricultural workers between the ages of 15 & 79 have a disability that affects their ability to perform one or more essential tasks. (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1999)

USDA-CSREES funds a National AgrAbility Project State/Regional AgrAbility Projects. There are also

several affiliated programs.

Who Qualifies?

• Any individual who is engaged in farming or an agricultural occupation

• A child with a disability who’s family is engaged in farming

Causes of AgrAbility Client Disabilities

51.3%

17.7%

30.9%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

HealthConditions

Non-farmIncidents

FarmIncidents

Types of AgrAbility Client Disabilities

5.7%

6.7%

7.3%

7.4%

9.2%

51.7%

12.0%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Quadraplegia

Stroke

Orthopedic Injury

Joint Injury

Back Injury

Paraplegia

Other

Qualifying Disabilities

• Arthritis• Amputations• Back pain• Cancer• Heart disease• Hip replacement• Knee pain• Multiple Sclerosis

• Paraplegia• Quadriplegia• Deafness / hearing

impaired• Blindness / visually

impaired

What Does AgrAbility Virginia Do

• On-site assessment

• Technical assistance

• Development of a business plan

• Referral and cooperative work with various agencies

• Aid in finding funding sources

What Does AgrAbility Not Do

• Pay for equipment and modifications

• Make business and family decisions

Case Example

• Personal Data: 56 year old male with arthritis in the hands and knees.

• Farms beef cattle and hay

• No other medical problems.

• Functional Limitations: difficulty getting on and off machinery, pain with walking around farm, increased pain with cold weather.

Solutions

• Added steps to tractors

• Purchase of Gator/ATV to decrease amount of walking around farm.

• Purchase gloves and knee warmers to reduce pain with cold weather

Case Example

• Sometimes the problem is small, such as adding D-handles to pitch forks and shovels. This aids in reducing and preventing back pain.

• Sometimes the problems is large, such as enabling an individual with paraplegia to continue farming.

Projects

• Larger projects may include such things as home modifications, machinery modifications, special computer technology, modifications to vehicles, and modifications to recreational equipment.

• AgrAbility does not pay for these items but may help develop revenue sources.

Why AgrAbility Is So Important?

• Rural settings

• Distance to health agencies

• Number of farm injuries

• Farm safety

• Prevention of secondary injuries

AgrAbility Peer Support Network Activities

• Connect people with similar disabilities.

• Provide forums for information & idea exchange.

• Connect primary caregivers.

Rural Rehab Partners• Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE)• Easter Seals Virginia (ESV)• Department of Rehabilitative Services (DRS)• Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center (WWRC)• Virginia Assistive Technology Partnership (VAT)• Virginia Farm Bureau Safety (FB)• Centers for Independent Living (CIL's)• Virginia Rural Health Association (VRHA)• Virginia Dept of Public Health – Arthritis Task Force

Contact?http://www.agrability.ext.vt.edu/

Kirk BallinAgrAbility Virginia

Easter Seals Virginia201 East Main Street

Salem, VA 24153-3841540-777-7325 (Outside Virginia)800-365-1656 (Inside Virginia)

Fax: 540-777-2194

E-Mail: kballin@va.easter-seals.org

BSE Listening Session

January 11-14, 2005 – Interacted at 4 locations

Results:BSE NewsletterPlans (BSE Intranet)Drinking water issues

http://www.ext.vt.edu/vce/anr/bse/index.html