Agricultural production is one of the nation's most hazardous occupations. Each year hundreds of thousands of people working in agriculture experience injuries that limit their ability to perform essential farm tasks. Tens of thousands more become disabled as a result of non-farm injuries, illnesses, other health conditions, and the aging process. Like their urban counterparts, approximately 20% of farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural workers have disabilities that interfere with their work.

For many of these individuals, the presence of a disability can jeopardize their rural and agricultural futures. Rural isolation, a tradition of self-reliance, and gaps in rural service delivery systems frequently prevents agricultural workers with disabilities from taking advantage of the growing expertise in modifying farm operations, adapting equipment, promoting farmstead accessibility, and using assistive technologies to safely accommodate disability in agricultural and rural settings. Yet, with some assistance, agricultural workers with disabilities can safely and effectively continue to earn their livelihoods in production agriculture and participate fully in rural community life.

The AgrAbility Project was created to assist people with disabilities employed in agriculture. It links cooperative extension services with nonprofit disability service organizations to provide practical education and assistance that promotes independence in agricultural production and rural living. The AgrAbility Project has emerged as one of rural America's most valuable and cost-effective resources.

Congress authorized the AgrAbility Project in the 1990 Farm Bill and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Cooperative State Research, Education & Extension Service (USDA-CSREES) launched the AgrAbility Project in 1991.

A National AgrAbility Project, established in 1991 and renewed each year since, provides coordinated training, technical assistance, and information exchange. Currently, the University of Wisconsin-Extension, Cooperative Extension (UW) and the National Easter Seals (ES), cooperatively carry out the National AgrAbility Project.

In Missouri, the AgrAbility program links the University of Missouri Extension with Midland Empire Resources for Independent Living (MERIL) and Services for Independent Living (SIL), the nonprofit disability service organization to provide practical education and assistance that promote independence in agricultural production and rural living.

The AgrAbility provision of the Farm Bill promotes the combination of agricultural know-how with disability expertise to provide agricultural workers with disabilities the specialized services they need to safely accommodate their disabilities in everyday farm or ranch operations. As authorized, the program engages extension educators, disability experts, health care providers, rural professionals, and volunteers in offering an array of services, including:

• identifying agricultural workers and their families with disabilities and referring them to appropriate resources;
• providing on-site technical assistance on adapting and using farm or ranch equipment and tools;
• providing on-site technical assistance on modifying farm or ranch operations and buildings;
• providing agriculture-based education to help prevent further injury and disability;
• providing training to help Extension educators and other rural professionals upgrade their skills in assisting agricultural workers with disabilities; and
• developing and coordinating peer counseling networks.
  

Each year the AgrAbility in Missouri program assists hundreds of agricultural workers with disabilities and their families to succeed in production agriculture and rural community life. For additional information call our toll free at 1.800.995.8503