2011 AgrAbility
National Training
Workshop
November 7-10
Indianapolis, Indiana
| Monday, November 7, 2011 | ||
| File | Activity | Lead Presenters |
| Pre-Conference Sessions | ||
| Tour of the Roudebush VA Hospital and the Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana This tour consists of visits to the Richard L. Roudebush Indianapolis VA Medical Center, a large hospital serving veterans from a 45 county area in Indiana and Illinois, and the Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana (RHI), one of the premier rehabilitation hospitals in the state. At the Roudebush VA Center, participants will visit multiple sites within the facility and learn about disability/rehabilitation issues affecting veterans. At RHI, participants will see state-of-the art rehabilitation facilities and hear a presentation on traumatic brain injury. Lunch will be on your own. The fee for this session is $25. This pre-conference tour is limited to 24 participants. |
National AgrAbility Staff |
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| Tour of Life Essentials Life Essentials in Brookston, IN designs and builds assistive technology products to help individuals across the country gain their independence at home, work, and outdoors. These quality products are custom built and installed to meet the individual needs of the user. Tour this unique facility to see some of the products that Life Essentials offers in addition to how they are manufactured and distributed. The bus will stop on the drive up for lunch, and light snacks and refreshments will also be provided at Life Essentials. The fee for this session is $40. This pre-conference tour is limited to 10 participants. |
National AgrAbility Staff | |
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New Staff Training This session gives an overview of the AgrAbility Program for new staff member or those wanting a refresher. Some topics covered include: a perspective from the USDA, the role of the National Project, resources available, evaluation procedures, and sources of help inside and outside AgrAbility. Participants will also have opportunities to network with one another, NAP staff members, and USDA contacts. |
National AgrAbility Staff |
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Worksite Assessments for Assistive Technology Farmers often fabricate devices and processes to help them overcome their limitations but end up making modifications that may be more hazardous. It is important for AgrAbility professionals to assess the possibility of secondary injury on assistive technology (AT), to prevent or minimize further injuries. This session will include a hands-on segment where all participants will be involved in evaluating the secondary injury potential of selected assistive technologies used in agricultural work-sites. The goal will be to assist AgrAbility staff in identifying hazards and recommending solutions. The assessment tool will be reviewed and the participants will then go through a practice assessment. The fee for this session is $20 for resources used in the session. |
National AgrAbility Staff |
| Opening Reception Light refreshments will be served. Dinner is on your own. |
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| Tuesday, November 8, 2011 | ||
| File | Activity | Lead Presenters |
Breakfast Mental Health Community of Interest |
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| No File | Opening Session Welcome from the National AgrAbility Team Updates from the NAP Team A Look Back at 20 Years of AgrAbility: A Farmer Panel Conference instructions |
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| Break | ||
| Morning Session A | ||
| No File | PI Session USDA Program Leader Brad Rein will meet with SRAP principal investigators for questions, answers, and discussion. |
Brad Rein, USDA |
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To Inform, Connect, and Empower: An Introduction to Aging and Disability Resource Centers Independence is a hallmark of the farming way of life. Unfortunately, after a severe accident or a debilitating chronic condition, that way of life can be closed to farmers and/or their caregivers due to a lack of supportive services. Often, lack of knowledge of possible services or concern over costs of services deters an individual or the family from reaching out for assistance which ultimately results in loss of independence or in a diminished quality of life. Through an ADRC, individuals whether rural or urban are informed and empowered to select and access services to meet their needs and circumstances. ADRC assistance is available at no cost to any individual over the age of 60 or to anyone with a disability over the age of 18, or their caregivers regardless of age. The ADRC also assists in accessing funding for supportive services though various federal, state, and local programs. |
Maureen Widner, Aging & In-Home Services of Northeast Indiana (AIHS) Tia Everidge, LaGrange County, AIHS Sylvia Wade, Special Programs, AIHS |
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AmeriCorps Opportunities and AgrAbility AmeriCorps is a national service organization, often described as the domestic Peace Corps. Over 85,000 members serve annually in thousands of local and national non-profits to meet critical needs in education, healthcare, economics, environment and veterans assistance. Since 1926, Easter Seals Wisconsin has been creating life changing solutions for individuals with disabilities and their families. As a partner of AgrAbility of Wisconsin, Easter Seals Wisconsin has been able to allow AmeriCorps members to serve farmers with disabilities and their families. AmeriCorps members have made a valuable impact for AgrAbility of Wisconsin by developing newsletters, conducting client interviews and having direct interaction with past and present clients through trade shows and client intake over the phone. Members are also involved with obtaining quotes for assistive technologies and farm equipment for clients while facilitating relationships between clients and equipment vendors. Updates from the NAP Team A Look Back at 20 Years of AgrAbility: A Farmer Panel Conference instructions |
Vicki Janish, AgrAbility of Wisconsin Dick Straub, AgrAbility of Wisconsin Paul Leverenz, Easter Seals Farm Program |
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Growing Well with Pain The American Chronic Pain Association is interested in raising awareness, motivating dialogue and offering education about chronic pain among ranchers and farmers. The ACPA would like to extend educational offerings specific to chronic pain and unrecognized and often-mistreated conditions. In an effort to empower people with chronic pain and their caregivers, families, etc. with information, resources and tools to help them manage their pain. It is important to foster productive dialogue between people with pain and health care providers to facilitate better diagnosis and treatment outcomes. Updates from the NAP Team A Look Back at 20 Years of AgrAbility: A Farmer Panel Conference instructions |
Penney Cowan, American Chronic Pain Association |
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Caring for Caregivers: Tools for Supporting Caregivers in Rural Areas Everyday hundreds of farmers experience debilitating injuries resulting in permanent disabilities. Instantly, spouses, parents and children suddenly become caregivers. Whether caregiving is enriching or a burden, negative emotions and burnout can quickly effect a family. This session will spotlight the warning signs of burnout, coping techniques for caregiving stressors, strategies for nurturing family relationships, and suggestions for successful role-changing. Information will be presented from an agricultural perspective to convey an appreciation for the values and customs of farming communities as well as the challenges these characteristics present for a family adjusting to the presence of a disability. Updates from the NAP Team A Look Back at 20 Years of AgrAbility: A Farmer Panel Conference instructions |
Mary Slabinski, West Virginia AgrAbility Inetta Fluharty, West Virginia AgrAbility |
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Applying for the 2011 SARE Farmer/Rancher Grant This session will offer participants an overview of the funding possibilities available from the North Central Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NC-SARE) program.Specific attention will be given to the 2011 Farmer Rancher Grant call for proposals as well as the Youth and Youth Educator grants. These funds can be used by successful applicants to advance their investigation of how new tools and/or techniques / management practices can contribute to enhancing their level of farm sustainability. Sustainability -loosely defined- refers to the process of increasing a farm's profitability while treating workers and neighbors in a fair and appropriate manner and reducing their impact of the farming activity on the environment. The three "legs" of the sustainability "stool" are practices that reflect a commitment to economic, environmental and social sustainability. SARE grant funds are made available to foster investigation and hopefully adoption of such practices. |
Roy Ballard, Purdue Extension |
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Cooperative Extension: Making a Difference Today and Tomorrow The cooperative extension service was created as a source of relevant information initially for production agriculture and has evolved into a one-stop source of information for agriculture, youth programs, health and human services, and economic development. There are many resources available that may not be known by the general public. This session will explain the system and the resources available. |
Dan Wilson, Purdue Extension |
| Lunch Networking Committee Ergonomics Community of Interest Evaluation Committee |
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| Afternoon Session A |
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| No File | Why Work with the Media? It is important to make use of whatever media you have available to spread the message of your cause. Once that's established, we will talk about how to develop positive relationships with people in the media that have reach into your target audience. One concept is to understand what message you're trying to convey and whom you want to hear or read it. Finally, perhaps most importantly, we will discuss "Dos and Don'ts" for working with print or broadcast media. This will include tips on how to prepare for and complete successful interviews. It begins with knowing who wants to interview you and why, and with understanding the subject matter thoroughly that will be covered in the interview. |
Tom Bechman, Indiana Prairie Farmer Magazine |
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Sharing Your Message with Social Media Do you Tweet? Are you on Facebook? Do you watch YouTube? Have you blogged lately? The people who care about your services do. In the rapidly-growing world of social media, understanding the tools and having a strategy to effectively utilize them is critical. Fortunately, social media is an incremental and ever-changing arena. You can use social media tools effectively without any additional cost to your program. You can also launch a serious social media program that relies on significant cost and personnel resources. Most successful programs operate somewhere in the middle. Join Wade Wingler and Nikol Prieto of the INDATA Project at Easter Seals Crossroads as they discuss their journey to becoming a program that successfully uses social media tools to promote their services, interact with their customers, and share truly useful information. |
Wade Wingler, ATP, INDATA Project at Easter Seals Crossroads Nikol Prieto, INDATA Project at Easter Seals Crossroads |
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Accessible Recreation on Public Lands There are approximately 650 million acres of public lands in the U.S. that are managed by several federal agencies. For the approximately 54 million U.S. citizens with disability, accessing public lands for recreation is challenging. Additionally, the population of the United States is aging. By the year 2030, 110 million people will be older than 55. As people age, impairments are more likely to hinder activities in the out-of-doors. The U.S. Forest Service manages over 193 million acres nationally. The first 45 minutes will be devoted to explaining the ADA mandate for accessibility; federal agency commitment to provide equal opportunity to access public lands; and how the U.S. Forest Service and other agencies go about providing for accessibility. The second 45 minutes will be devoted to explaining accessible hunting, skiing, fishing and horseback riding and include challenges to the sportsperson; rewards for the sportsperson when engaging in these activities; and assistive technology devices and resources that allow sportspeople with disabilities to more fully participate in these activities. |
Randy Weigel, Wyoming AgrAbility Corey McGregor, Wyoming Services for Independent Living Janet Zeller, US Forest Service Bryce Fauskee, Wyoming Services for Independent Living |
| No File | Veterans with Disabilities in Agriculture Agriculture offers unique opportunities for veterans, and several organizations are pioneering new initiatives to provide resources, education, and networking opportunities to help our wounded warriors succeed in a variety of agricultural enterprises. Panelists represent (1) Veteran Coalition (FVC). Based in Davis, California, FVC seeks to create viable vocational opportunities in agriculture for veterans through such means as education and training, advocacy, mentoring, and a fellowship fund to help qualifying vets with schooling or in starting their agricultural enterprises, and (2) Archi's Acres, a small-scale organic farm in Southern California started by former Marine Sergeant Colin Archipley and his wife Karen. They have developed a six-week Veterans Sustainable Agriculture Training program to provide opportunities in sustainable agriculture to combat veterans. Also speaking, Al Tolbert, a CIL director and Vietnam-era veteran. |
Paul Jones, National AgrAbility Project |
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Business Planning Basics The cornerstone of the American economy is small business. One of the growing trends for people with disabilities is to start their own business. Their disability limits their ability to meet some of the demands of structured employment. Self employment provides the flexibility that is sometimes needed by a person with a disability to earn an income and remain employed. When exploring self employment a business plan is very highly recommended and sometimes required by a lending institution or Vocational Rehabilitation Services. This workshop will present the basics of a business plan; provide some resources for information required in a business plan; templates to start writing a business plan; and show an example of a VR authorized and funded business plan. |
Steve Swain, ATP, National AgrAbility Project |
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Ag Credit Programs Available from the Farm Service Agency This session will provide details about the many direct and guaranteed agricultural lending opportunities available to farmers through the Farm Service Agency (FSA). It will focus on both beginning and non-beginning farmer loan programs and will provide a brief overview of eligibility requirements, authorized loan uses, rates and terms. It will also provide some real life examples of the ways FSA has assisted disabled farmers. |
Greg Foulke, Indiana Farm Service Agency |
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| Afternoon Session B | ||
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Universal Design: Taking it to the Barn! Universal Design is the creation of products and environments meant to be usable by all people, and to support an expanding demographic of people living with a wide array of disabilities, age-related limitations, and chronic health conditions. In the agricultural setting, features of Universal Design can be utilized to improve the usability of the farmstead by creating an environment that works seamlessly for disabled workers and their families. The goal of using Universal Design concepts for an existing farmstead is not to entirely redesign the farmstead but to make a range of changes that result in the farmstead being a comfortable, user- friendly, safer place to live and work. This session will focus on how Universal Design concepts can be applied to the farm and recommendations that can be utilized by AgrAbility clients. |
Kent McGuire, Ohio AgrAbility |
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Farmers With Disabilities: Using National Data to Estimate Prevalence Arriving at an estimate of the extent of disability within the United States farm population is difficult, since health questions are not directly asked to the farmers on any national farm-related surveys. In general, disability is hard to measure. National surveys that include disability questions rely solely on respondents' ability to accurately self-report his or her disabilities, which may cause biased results. Little research has been done to look at disability by occupation. Focused research on disability in the farm population has been limited to small, localized surveys. This paper builds a foundation for further research on national survey disability questions by examining the 1994 and 1995 National Health Interview Survey Supplements on Disability and the 2000 Census Public Use Microdata Sample at the 5 percent level. Overall, the Southern Plains, Delta States and Appalachia rank the highest in all of the difficulty questions on the Census survey. |
Cristina Miller, University of Illinois at Chicago |
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Living and Working Well with a Disability: What's Health Got to Do With It? What people do is related to how they feel. What people feel is related to what they do. We all struggle with following through to do things that are intended to make us feel healthy and good. The healthier we are, the better we feel, and the more we can do to create personally rewarding lives. The Living Well and Working Well with a Disability health promotion programs address how healthy lifestyles and the management of secondary conditions determine how we feel, what we do, and where we go. Secondary conditions can include psychological conditions, like depression, and physical limitations, such as pain and fatigue. People living with disabilities and chronic health problems experience a variety of secondary health conditions that can interfere with feeling good and participating in meaningful activities like employment, family and community life. This presentation includes the history of the Living Well and Working Well with a Disability programs, an overview linking health to lifestyle, anecdotes about implementing the programs in the field, and an interactive practice exercise. |
Tracy Boehm, RTC: Rural |
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Marketing Alternatives for Small Farms Small farms are more likely to have specialty enterprises rather than commodity-based enterprises. This means that alternative marketing options will need to be utilized to sell items produced on these farms. The session will explore a variety of direct and wholesale marketing techniques. |
Steve Engleking, Purdue Extension |
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Selecting a Livestock Enterprise for a Small Farm Before going into livestock production take a good look at the physical assets on the farm and see how they relate to that enterprise. This program will cover feeds, fencing and health for animals. |
Mark Kepler, Purdue Extension |
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Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities The Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV) offers cutting edge, experiential training in entrepreneurship and small business management to post-9/11 veterans with disabilities resulting from their service to our country. The EBV is designed to open the door to business ownership for veterans by (1) developing skills in the many steps and activities associated with launching and growing a small business, and by (2) helping leverage programs and services for veterans and people with disabilities in a way that furthers your entrepreneurial dreams. Join staff from the Krannert School of Management at Purdue University, one of seven institutions currently offering the EBV, for a discussion of this innovative program. |
Chuck Johnson, Krannert School of Management, Purdue University |
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Working with the VA The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, commonly known as the VA, is the main portal for benefits to veterans, their families, and survivors. As the second-largest department in the U.S. government, the VA is charged with addressing a wide range of services to veterans, including education, medical treatment, and vocational rehabilitation. Since rural residents account for approximately 44% of our military, and many veterans are returning from active duty with disabilities, it is important that AgrAbility staff members be aware of what is available through the VA, how to access services, and how AgrAbility and VA can work together. Join VA staff from Indianapolis as they share about ways to assist the rural veteran population. |
Amy Cannon, Jami Stout, and Thomas Roundtree, US Department of Veterans Affairs |
| Dinner On your own |
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| Wednesday, November 9, 2011 | ||
| File | Activity | Lead Presenters |
Breakfast Vocational Rehabilitation Community of Interest |
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| Unconferencing Session The Unconference Principle says that at a typical conference, the sum of the expertise of the people in the audience is greater than the sum of expertise of the people on stage. Unconferencing is a way to tap everyone's expertise so that each person receives the maximum benefit. Sometimes the best information exchange at conferences occurs in the hallway or during meal conversations. Think of the Unconference as a way to bring those conversations into the meeting room. Join one or more of the following Unconferencing discussions. Participants will have the opportunity to switch groups after 45 minutes, if desired. |
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Show Me the Money: Finding Funding Beyond USDA and VR | |
| No File | Extending Your Reach: Using Networking to Expand AgrAbility | |
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If You Build It, Will They Come? Tips for Finding AgrAbility Clients | |
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Watch Your Language: Dealing with the "D Word" (Disability), People First Language, and Other Potentially Thorny TerminologyActivity | |
| No File | AgrAbility Web Roundtable | |
| Break |
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| Morning Session A |
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Cold Work Injuries in Agriculture-Strategies for Prevention and Rehabilitation Working in cold temperatures is a hazard for many agricultural workers. Cold work not only increases the risk of debilitating injuries, but also aggravates existing health problems. This session presents practical prevention and rehabilitation guidance based on the causes of cold injury in agricultural work, helping delegates to provide evidence-based technical advice to protect people working in cold environments. |
Quiqing Geng, Swedish Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering Rob Stuthridge, National AgrAbility Project |
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Increasing Our AgrAbility Clients' Quality of Life Levels-What Works The National AgrAbility Evaluation Committee will present a panel discussion. First we'll present our latest pretest-posttest changes with the McGill Quality of Life Survey and the Independent Living and Operating Survey (2007-2011). Then representatives from seven SRAPs will discuss what works in their states to increase AgrAbility clients' quality of life levels (CO, IL, KS, NE, VA, WI, and WV). Finally we'll share how your SRAP too can assess your success at increasing your clients' quality of life levels. |
Robert Fetsch, Colorado AgrAbility Sheila Simmons, Assistive Technology for Kansans Vicki Janish, AgrAbility of Wisconsin Robert Aherin, University of Illinois Inetta Fluharty, West Virginia AgrAbility Sharry Nielsen, Nebraska AgrAbility |
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Assessing and Responding to the Prosthetic Needs of Farmers and Ranchers Representatives of the Northwestern University Prosthetics-Orthotics Center will present an update of the NIDRR funded research project, a collaboration with the National AgrAbility Project. This will include data from interviews with 40 farmers and ranchers with amputations and 26 prosthetists who provide services to farmers with amputations. This information will include both objective data and qualitative themes. Creation and distribution of two surveys, one upper limb focused and one lower limb focused will also be described. Discussion of design initiatives will follow in which the audience is encouraged to share experiences with problems using prosthetic devices in farming and ranching. |
Craig Heckathorne, Northwestern University Prosthetics-Orthotics Center |
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The Captioned Telephone: A Tool for Improved Communication for the Hard of Hearing
The agricultural population is aging, and with increased age has experienced a steady decline in the quality of hearing. At present about 1/3 of those persons over age 55 have hearing loss. Technology has been developed to address hearing loss in the form of hearing aids, cochlear implants, and captioned telephones. The operation of the CapTel phone will be described and information on how to obtain the phone will be presented. |
Raymond Furner, Indiana Telephone Relay Access Corporation (InTRAC) |
| No File | Farming with Arthritis
Hear the stories of farm operators from their own viewpoint, and from the viewpoint of their caregivers and staff, about how arthritis has affected their farming operations and daily lives. A question and answer session will be included for questions and comments from the audience. |
Moderated By Amber Wolfe, Arthritis Foundation-Indiana Chapter |
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Arthritis Alternative and Complementary Therapies/Facts and Myths…Some Work, Many Don't Alternative and natural treatments have gained popularity and serve as a complement to traditional therapies. Alternative and complementary therapies for arthritis range from "A" (acupuncture) to "Z" (zinc sulfate), with a lot in between… copper bracelets, glucosamine, faith healing, yoga. It is all very confusing! But, do arthritis alternative and complementary approaches really work, are they based on efficacy, and are they safe? This presentation will look at the myths and facts of arthritis alternative and complementary approaches. |
Karen Funkenbusch, Missouri AgrAbility Beth Richards, CDC Missouri Arthritis and Osteoporosis Program |
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What to Expect When Working with Vocational Rehabilitation: An AgrAbility Client's Experience This session will provide a brief overview of the VR purposes and procedures followed by a live case study presented by an AgrAbility client and his Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor. |
Steve Etheridge, Vocational Rehabilitation Services of Indiana |
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AgrAbility and Vocational Rehabilitation, Working Together to Help Farmers This session will discuss how AgrAbility can more effectively work with Vocational Rehabilitation. |
Steve Etheridge, Vocational Rehabilitation Services of Indiana |
Lunch Arthritis Community of Interest |
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| Poster Session | ||
| Afternoon Session A | ||
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Assistive Technology Show and Tell This session will be a show-and-tell with various suppliers of assistive technologies applicable to farmers and ranchers with disabilities. AT Suppliers currently scheduled for this session include: • The Standing Company manufactures manual and power wheelchairs that allow someone who is normally restricted to a seated position in a wheelchair to stand up. • Life Essentials manufactures personal mobility products, custom-made people lifts, and hand controls for tractors, combines, trucks, off road equipment, vans, RVs, homes, and horseback riding - the list goes on and on. • Foresight Services is a distributor of many agricultural products for farmers and ranchers with a disability, such as automatic hitches, extra steps, handrails, air ride seats, and hand controls for tractors. • Atom-Jet Industries manufactures the AJILITY LIFT which is a person lift mounted in the back of a pickup truck that can lift a person into tractors, combines, off road equipment, RV's, buildings, and just about any other place you want to go. • Advanced Mobility Solutions designs and installs products that enable increased accessibility to the tractor, combine, and other farm equipment. • TommyJohn Industries manufactures a 3-point hitching device which automatically connects an implement and the PTO without the farmer leaving his tractor seat. |
Moderated by Steve Swain, ATP, National AgrAbility Project |
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Coping with Nervous System Disorders such as Parkinson's Disease Parkinson's disease is a complex neurodegenerative disease that affects the central nervous system. It is the second most common neurodegenerative disease behind Alzheimer's disease. It is estimated that one out of every 100 adults over the age of 60 are impacted by this disease. This session will emphasize the importance of early diagnosis of Parkinson's disease and discuss the many treatments that are available for patients. First-hand experience from the presenter will be shared, highlighting the impact of the disease on daily activities. |
Darrell Anderson, National Swine Registry |
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Ready to Ride: Continuing an Active Lifestyle with Horses after an Arthritis Diagnosis The horse industry is a very large and important part of our national, state, and local economies. It is diverse, involving agriculture, business, sport, gaming, entertainment, and recreation. One out of every 63 Americans are involved with horses. With the majority of horse owners living in rural areas (over 70% of horse owners live in communities of 50,000 or less) and working in rural occupations, they are just as likely to be affected by arthritis and its related diseases as a farmer involved in production row crops or other large livestock. This session will discuss strategies for continuing to work with horses while managing the effects of arthritis. |
Amber Wolfe, Arthritis Foundation |
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Fit in 10: Exercise Recommendations that Work Even for Individuals with Disabilities We are often told to exercise, but what does that actually mean? According to the new 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (2008) from the US Department of Health and Human Services, Exercise and Physical Activity (2009) from the National Institute on Aging, and Exercise and Physical Activity for Older Adults Position Stand (2009) from the American College of Sports Medicine there are four recommended styles of exercise, and to get all of the benefits of exercise, one should do all four types. These are: 1) balance exercises, 2) endurance or aerobic exercise, 3) strength training exercise, and 4) stretching or flexibility exercises. This workshop will cover the new recommendations, show examples of standard exercises and the modifications for those exercises, as well as have attendees participate in the exercise routines. |
Jessica Vincent, Arkansas AgrAbility LaVona Traywick, Arkansas AgrAbility |
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How Accessible Gardening Can Increase Gardeners' Capacity Learn the nuts and bolts behind accessible gardening. Attendees will learn the basics for designing, creating and adapting gardens to match intended users' individualized abilities. Examples of designs will be used to show different ways to adapt gardens, tools, and garden chores so people of all abilities can take part in gardening. Community gardening projects that have implemented the principles of accessible gardening will be discussed and demonstrate how implementation of accessible designs can be as simple as a raised bed or extensive as hydroponic gardens. |
Mary Slabinski, West Virginia AgrAbility Inetta Fluharty, West Virginia AgrAbility |
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Managing an Effective Partnership with Vocational Rehabilitation through a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) Process The Oklahoma AgrAbility Project maintains a successful partnership with Vocational Rehabilitation. This partnership is greatly enhanced through the consistent utilization of a Standard Operating Procedure process, which outlines the roles and responsibilities of all parties and the timelines to be followed when providing client services for co-shared cases. Come learn about the give and take required of both AgrAbility and VR to make this a win/win for both. More importantly, come learn how this strategy ensures successful employment outcomes for Oklahoma's farmers and ranchers with disabilities who are eligible for VR services. |
Linda Jaco, Oklahoma AgrAbility Milissa Gofourth, Oklahoma AgrAbility Melinda Fruendt, Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services Alisa Estes, Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services |
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Agricultural Assistive Technology Training (NIDRR Grant) A grant from the US department of Education's National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) provided funding for the Agricultural Assistive Technology Training project. The goal of this project is to increase vocational rehabilitation (VR) specialist's competency and preparedness to assist farmers with disabilities and to continue to farm after disabling accident or illness. This three year effort is to train sate vocational rehabilitation agencies across the country to improve employment outcomes for farmers and agriculture workers with disabilities. The purpose of this session is to inform state AgrAbility programs about progress of the project as we reach the end of the first year of the grant and outline opportunities for collaboration for offering training to VR staff in their state during years two and three of the project. |
Paul Leverenz, AgrAbility of Wisconsin |
| Break (All exhibit & vendor booths need to be removed by 4:00 pm) |
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| Afternoon Session B |
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Mental Health First Aid Mental health stresses and crises occur frequently in the workplace, church, family, school, and in both rural and urban communities. Mental illness frequently interferes with a person’s ability to work, care for themselves, go to school or form/maintain relationships. Farmers, farm workers, and their families are as much at risk for experiencing stress and mental disorders as other populations. They are also susceptible to the stigma that often prevents people from seeking help or acknowledging that they need help. This presentation introduces the Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) USA program as a potential resource that can prepare members of farming communities to provide MHFA to those in need of support. Community members who enroll in MHFA training learn a 5-step action plan to help loved ones, colleagues, neighbors, and others to cope with mental health problems, save lives, and build stronger communities. |
Roberta Schweitzer, Purdue University |
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Emergency Preparedness for People with Disabilities The recent AgrAbility webinar on emergency planning for rural residents with disabilities was one of the most popular webinars to date. Building on this online presentation, participants will learn about the core components of emergency management: prevention, preparedness, mitigating, responding to and recovering from various forms of disasters. The focus will be on those who live in rural areas that may be isolated from emergency services. |
Bill Field, National AgrAbility Project |
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Application of the Assistive Technology Usability Design Assessment Tool (UDAT) Equipment modified for use in agricultural settings by people with disabilities is frequently shared between multiple users. Where it is optimally designed to meet the needs of an individual, modified equipment may inadvertently increase risks for users who are not adequately considered during the design or selection process. This session will introduce UDAT, a systematic approach to designing or selecting multi-user assistive technology that is safe for all users. The rationale for UDAT and its practical application will be presented, and delegates will have an opportunity to practice using UDAT on real-life agricultural assistive technology cases. The session is of value to everyone involved in the design or selection/specification of assistive technology in agricultural settings, whether for use by a third party or for their own use. |
Rob Stuthridge, National AgrAbility Project |
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Spinal Cord Injury from Research to Rehabilitation Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes a major change in a person's life as well as his or her family. Many questions arise regarding possible research therapies for paralysis and other health complications associated with SCI. As individuals with SCI prepare to return to their families, jobs, and communities, they must learn about architectural accessibility, electronic aids for daily living (EADL), seating and mobility, and other assistive technology (AT) tools. Major challenges and obstacles to living with SCI will be discussed. |
Brad Duerstock, Center for Paralysis Research, Purdue University |
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What Do SSA Work Incentives, AgrAbility, and Vocational Rehabilitation have in Common? SSDI, SSI, TWP, EPE, SGA, and PASS can sound like a foreign language. This session will help you translate these acronyms into user friendly terms to describe what Social Security work incentives mean and how they can make a big difference in a disabled farmer/ranchers life. You will also learn through real life examples from Nebraska, how a team approach with an Agrability rural rehab specialist, an EasterSeals Benefits planner, and a Voc Rehab counselor can assist their farmers/ranchers to get back in the field! |
Kelly Gewecke, Easter Seals Nebraska |
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Linking Community Partners to Improve Services for Agricultural Families This session will introduce the development of a partnership program that links community members and rehabilitation professionals. The program asks community members from farming and ranching families to provide information related to disability status and the impact on daily life. This information is then translated to develop educational programs for these families as well as specifically targeted to rehabilitation professionals living in rural communities. A primary goal of this program is to improve the knowledge of rehabilitation professionals related to the needs of this farming and ranching population, thus insuring targeted rehabilitation services can be provided. |
Jan Johnston, Oklahoma State University Lynn Jeffries, Langston University |
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Alternative Milking Systems for Farmers with Disabilities This session will discuss practical ways to convert a milking system from a flat barn to a milking parlor and how that can enable a farmer to independently milk his cows. Low-cost design options for milking parlors and other modification will be described. It will also be explained how milking equipment can be assistive technology for various physical impairments. |
Ned Stoller, Michigan AgrAbility |
| Dinner The State Showcase Auction featuring products from several different states will follow dinner. Silent Auction winners will be announced prior to the start of the live auction. All funds raised from the auction will support farmer scholarships for 2012. |
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| Thursday, November 10, 2011 | ||
| Breakfast |
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| Off-site Tours | ||
| Exploring Agritourism and Niche Markets This tour will explore the basics of agritourism beginning with a stop at the Tuttle Orchards. Here, we will see diversified horticulture business growing apples, vegetables, and greenhouse crops. Agritoursim, fruit production, greenhouse and vegetable will also be discussed. Next we will travel north to the Carley Elk Farm where we will explore the alternative livestock niche operation by touring the farm and pastures, sampling elk meat, and discovering the many uses of elk. Lastly, we will travel to the farm of an AgrAbility client to tour his operation and explore the modifications that he has done to his showpig operation and grain farm. |
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| Alternative Agriculture This tour begins with a stop at an AgrAbility client's farm where the client trains and shows horses. Next we will visit a working livestock ranch, row crop farm, and private hunting preserve:the Presnell Plantation which provides guests, youth, disabled veterans, the terminally ill and other deserving individuals and non-profit organizations with a place where they can enjoy many outdoor events and experiences. Lastly we will visit Not Just Popcorn, a one-of-a-kind, family-owned popcorn facility. We will watch as popcorn is popped, candy coated, and packaged for distribution through wholesale and retail outlets. The tour ends with a tasting of some of their most popular flavors. |
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