AgrAbility Fact Sheet

AGRABILITY IN GEORGIA

The AgrAbility Project was created to assist people with disabilities employed in agriculture and is administered by USDA-Cooperative State Research, Education & Extension Service. The project links the Cooperative Extension Service at a land-grant university with a disability service organization to provide practical education and assistance that promotes independence in agricultural production and rural living. There are currently 31 states with an AgrAbility program. In Georgia, The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Cooperative Extension and the Institute on Human Development & Disability (IHDD) have linked together to administer the AgrAbility in Georgia project.

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.

Those eligible for AgrAbility services are individuals that work with agriculture products prior to processing or production. They may have any type of disability – physical, cognitive, or illness-related, for example:

• amputations
• arthritis
• back pain
• blindness or vision impairments
• cancer
• cardiac problems
• cerebral palsy
• deafness or hearing impairments
• diabetes
• mental retardation
• multiple sclerosis
• muscular dystrophy
• post-polio syndrome
• respiratory problems
• spinal cord injury
• stroke
• traumatic brain injuries

AgrAbility Services
• Information & referral
• Training for rural professionals
• On-site technical assistance
• Education on secondary injury prevention
• Peer support networks

Successful Outcomes for AgrAbility Clients
• Increased ability to perform current or new work tasks.
• Decreased potential for acquiring a secondary injury.
• Increased independence at home and in the community