Agriculture
Vermont AgrAbility
Agriculture consistently ranks as one of the nation’s most dangerous occupations. Each year agricultural workers in Vermont sustain disabling injuries in work related accidents, non-farm injuries, illness and other chronic health conditions.
Vermont AgrAbility offers education and technical assistance to farmers, farm workers and their families with disabilities on safe and practical ways to continue in their rural lifestyle.
Established in the 1990 Farm Bill, AgrAbility is administered by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service at USDA. Vermont AgrAbility is a collaborative partnership with UVM Extension, Rural and Agricultural VocRehab, and the Vermont Center for Independent Living. Farmers eligible for Vermont AgrAbility services may have any type of acquired or traumatic disability - physical, cognitive, or sensory.
Vermont AgrAbility Resources
- AgrAbility Harvest - national disability in agriculture newsletter
- Information and referral - provides information about farming with a disability and referral information on services available in agriculture, rehabilitation, and their community.
- On-site and technical assistance - conducts on-site home and agricultural work site assessments and recommends ways to continue farming. This includes how to restructure work tasks or operations, explore alternative ag enterprises, modify farm equipment and tools, and acquire agriculture-related assistive technology.
- Secondary injury prevention - creates awareness and provides information on preventing further injuries or disabling conditions.
- Peer support - connects farmers with newly acquired disabilities with others who have successfully accommodated their disability.
- Training and education - Vermont AgrAbility provides training and education about farming with a disability for rehabilitation and health care practitioners, ag professionals, emergency response organizations, and other community agencies.
Contact Us
Vermont AgrAbility Project617 Comstock Road, Suite 5
Berlin, VT 05602-9194
Bill Snow, 1-866-860-1382 or (802) 223-238 x19, william.snow@uvm.edu
Gail Lapierre, 1-800-571-0668 or (802) 656-5420, gail.lapierre@uvm.edu
Additional resources
- Rural and Agricultural VocRehab - www.uvm.edu/ravr
- Goodwill of Northern New England - www.goodwillnne.org
- Vermont Center for Independent Living - www.vcil.org
Last modified April 24 2012 10:20 AM