The Prairie Star: Montana Ag Newspaper

LARAMIE, Wyo. - Promoting independence for members of the agricultural community with disabilities is the focus of The AgrAbility Project.

Created to assist people involved in production agriculture who work on both small and large farms, AgrAbility is just beginning its third year in Wyoming.

The Farm Bill in the early 1990s recognized a need for helping those in agriculture who have disabilities, explained Amanda Hearne, project coordinator for Wyoming AgrAbility.

The project provides information, education and assistance to disabled farmers and ranchers by linking cooperative extension services at a land-grand university with a private, nonprofit disability service organization. AgrAbility is funded through the United States Department of Agricul-ture.

There are more than 250,000 people nationwide involved in agriculture that experience some form of physical, sensory or cognitive disability.

And in Wyoming, AgrAbility is currently working with about 40 individuals with some level of disability.

Farmers, ranchers, farm workers and their family members who are employed in agriculture are eligible for AgrAbility services. Disabilities include amputations, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, blindness or vision impairments, deafness or hearing impairments, mental retardation and stroke.

Wyoming AgrAbility assists those in need by providing information and resources for them to get the help they need.

“Say they want a lawn tractor modified,” said Hearne. “We provide the information for that.”

However, they do not modify the tractor.

AgrAbility staff learns what the farmer or rancher used to do before the disability and help them to do that again through troubleshooting and recommending ways to do things efficiently, but differently.

In Wyoming, one organization AgrAbilty works with is Wyoming Indepen-dent Living Rehabilitation. That organization does a lot of home modifications such as providing wheelchair ramps and installing bars in the shower.

AgrAbility can also help someone by suggesting labor-saving technology or finding resources for restructuring how work is done so that they can remain in their current operation.

They can also help if it is determined that the farmer or rancher needs to get into a different type of operation.

They can also help find both high tech and low tech assistive technology for the individual.

Assistive technology is both assistive and adaptive devices and services such as evaluations, fabrication and training. These could be mounted chair lifts, digital wireless phone service, added steps and hand holds for tractors, and easy grip hand tools.

The project, however, does not purchase assistive technology and they do not fund assistance. The staff at AgrAbility performs worksite assessments and develops a plan for the farmer or rancher in need.

Funding must come from the farmer, rancher or other sources such as State Vocational Rehabilitation or charitable organizations.

Something Hearne said Wyoming lacks is a peer support program. She said they could always use someone who is willing to share their story or setting up a group.

“One of our struggles is finding people who are willing to seek out information,” said Hearne. “If they do want an onsite observation, there is no cost to have us come out and visit. And, there is no obligation if they don't like anything we have to say.”

For additional information, visit The AgrAbilty Web site at www.agrabilityproject.org.