The vision of AgrAbility is to enable a high-quality lifestyle for farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural workers with disabilities. While the term "disability" often brings to mind conditions such as spinal cord injuries and amputations, AgrAbility addresses not only these but also many other conditions, such as arthritis, back impairments, and behavioral health issues.
Through education and assistance, AgrAbility helps to eliminate (or at least minimize) obstacles that inhibit success in production agriculture or agriculture-related occupations.
AgrAbility is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and consists of a National Project and State/Regional Projects (currently serving 24 states), each involving collaborative partnerships between land grant universities and various nonprofit disability services organizations.
The National Project is led by the Breaking New Ground Resource Center at Purdue University in partnership with Goodwill of the Finger Lakes, the Arthritis Foundation - Heartland Region, the University of Illinois-Urban/Champaign, and Colorado State University. Support, funding, and oversight for AgrAbility come from the USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
For more information please check out our partners website with a ton of resources.
AgrAbility started an official partnership in September of 2016. Some of the work we are doing is listed below.
- Increase the awareness level of both the NAP and APRIL staff members regarding the respective services of both programs and how to access them.
- Increase the resources available to each APRIL member Center for Independent Living and AgrAbility funded and affiliated states on CILs and SILCs as resources.
- APRIL has assessed their membership clientele to determine the level of services being provided to AgrAbility clientele.
- Enhance the collaboration between State AgrAbility Projects and rural Centers for Independent Living.
- Work together to increase collaboration with Youth in CILs and State AgrAbility Projects.
For more information about our partnership please refer to some past presentations.
Powerpoint Presentation here: Webinar_Presentation_8-8-17.pptx
The 2018 Harvest Newsletter
Newletter here: AgrAbility_Harvest_9.1_accessible_web.pdf AgrAbility_Harvest_9.1_accessible_web.pdf