2024 AgrAbility National Training Workshop
March 25th -28th 2024 | Atlanta, GA
The AgrAbility National Training Workshop is the premier training event addressing issues of disability in agriculture.
Professionals and consumers from all over the country participate in four days of plenary sessions, breakouts, tours, networking, and special events.
The 2024 conference is March 25th– 28th, 2024 at the Grand Hyatt Atlanta/Buckhead which is located in the Buckhead district of Atlanta, GA. Registration is open.
Please click on the Registration tab for more information.
Pre-Conference: Monday, March 25th: 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
$40 fee
Shepherd Center
The Shepherd Center is where people in need of personalized rehabilitation after severe neurological injury or illness find care and compassion to begin again. They specialize in the rehabilitation for patients with the most complex spinal cord and brain injuries, traumatic stroke, and other neurological conditions. $50 Fee- Subject to change based on COVID protocols.
Post-Conference: Thursday, March 28th: 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
$75 Fee, lunch included on full day tours – Tours subject to change
OPTION 1 (Full Day Tour) 8 am-4:30 pm
Tour the Dirt Dog Manufacturing plant, a mushroom operation, and sheep farm run by an AgrAbility client with a spinal cord injury. $75 fee
OPTION 2 – (Full Day Tour) 8 am-4:30 pm
Tour a family run farm, that also has an agritourism component; UGA Griffin Campus and an orchard that also runs a food bank. $75 fee
OPTION 3 (Full Day Tour with 1/2 day drop off) 8 am- 4:00 pm
Tour a couple urban farms around Atlanta with a drop off at the hotel before lunch. After lunch you will tour the CDC $75 fee for full day, $30 for half day (lunch not included in half day tour).
Schedule
Schedule subject to change
Monday, March 25th: 8 am – 6 pm
Pre-conference sessions
- 9 am – 4:30 pm: Mental Health First Aid- $24 fee
- 1 pm – 4 pm: New Staff Training QOL Evaluation
- 1 pm – 4 pm: Worksite Assessment, Secondary Injury, and AT Selection- $25 fee
- 1 pm – 4 pm: Tour of the Shepherd Center- $40 fee
- 4:30 pm – 6 pm: Poster Session and Reception Poster descriptions
Tuesday, March 26th: 8 am – 5 pm
- 8 am – 9 am: Opening Conference Session
- 9:15 am – 10:15 am: Conference Breakout Sessions
- 10:15 am – 10:45 am Break
- 10:45 am – 12:15 pm: Conference Breakout Sessions
- Accessible Beekeeping: Improving Quality of Life Through Therapy and Assistive Technology
- Building Capacity for Farm Stress Resilient Communities: 2 State Approaches
- The LIFE Project – A Unique Partnership to Educate, Support, and Promote Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers in Agriculture
- Making the Case for Your Veteran-Owned Business
- 12:15 pm – 1:45 pm : Lunch
- 1:45 pm – 2:30 pm: Conference Breakout Sessions
- Obstacles in Designing Assistive Technology within a Skid Loader for Low-Mobility Individuals
- Exploring AgrAbility Quality of Life Profiles
- Unconferencing: Collaborating with Goodwill and Other Non-Profits
- Behind the Scenes of Illinois AgrAbility Ambassador Program
- 2:40 pm – 3:40 pm: Conference Breakout Sessions
- 3:40 pm – 4:00 pm: Break
- 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Conference Breakout Sessions
- Getting Down on the Farm: Assistive Devices for Physical and Mobility Impairments
- Improving Employment Outcomes for Persons with TBI in Rural Areas
- International Panel
- Case Study: Working with the Client Assistance Program to Assist a Client When they are Denied by Vocational Rehabilitation
- 6:00 pm Banquet and Auction with Keynote Speaker
Wednesday, March 27th: 8 am – 5 pm
- 8:00 am – 9:00 am: Conference Breakout Sessions
- 9:10 am – 9:55 am: Conference Breakout Sessions
- Everyday Equipment or Assistive Technology?
- Traumatic Brain Injury in Rural Communities
- Valuing the Economic Impacts of AgrAbility
- Disabled Farmer Adaptations to Diversified Organic Farming Operation in Maui
- 9:55 am – 10:25 am: Break
- 10:25 am – 12:00 pm: Conference Breakout Sessions
- De-stigmatizing Disability within the Farming Community
- Conversations on Access to Lethal Means: CALM
- AgrAbility & VR: Navigating Polices, Procedures, and People Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 TACQE resource sheet
- Farmer Veteran Panel
- Outdoor AT Show and Tell
- 12pm – 1:30pm: Lunch
- 1:30pm – 2:30 pm: Conference Breakout Sessions
- Indoor AT Show and Tell
- A Novel Approach To Pain Management For Farmers, Including Pilot Study Results
- Cultural Humility Panel: Cross Cultural Learning and Accessibility
- USDA Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network: updates from the West, North Central, Northeast, and South Regions
- 2:40 pm – 3:40 pm: Conference Breakout Sessions
- And on This Farm He Had a … What is THAT???: Assistive Technology Solutions to Support Vision and Hearing Loss
- Naloxone Training: Responding to Opioid Overdose
- SRAP Panel Discussion on Taking the RESNA AT Fundamentals Course
- Reaching New Heights and Expanding Audiences by Promoting AgrAbility
- 3:40 pm – 4:10 pm: Break
- 4:10 pm – 4:55 pm: Conference Breakout Sessions
- Piloting and Hacking DIY AT & Equipment for the Sustainable or Regenerative Small Farmer
- Serving the Silent Sectors in Agriculture: AgrAbility for Those who Fish and Harvest Timber
- Sustainability/Fundraising for SRAPs
- Thriving with Chronic Pain: Moving Beyond Coping with Pain to Living a Life that Feels Meaningful, Joyful, and Rewarding
- Dinner on your own
Thursday, March 28th: 8 am – 4 pm
Conference Tours
$75 Fee, lunch included on full day tours – Tours subject to change
OPTION 1 (Full Day Tour) 8 am-4 pm
Tour a Kubota Manufacturing plant, a mushroom operation, and sheep farm run by an AgrAbility client with a spinal cord injury. $75 fee
OPTION 2 – (Full Day Tour) 8 am-4 pm
Tour a family run farm, that also has an agritourism component; UGA Griffin Campus and a textile factory. $75 fee
OPTION 3 (Full Day Tour with 1/2 day drop off) 8 am- 3:30 pm
Tour a few urban farms around Atlanta with a drop off at the hotel before lunch. After lunch you will tour the CDC $75 fee for full day, $30 for half day (lunch not included for half day).
Hotel
The Grand Hyatt Atlanta/Buckhead
3300 Peachtree Road Northeast
Atlanta, GA 30305
Phone: 404-237-1234
We have a block of rooms set aside at the rate of $199 per night. To make reservations, you can click on the hotel name here: Grand Hyatt. You can also call The Grand Hyatt at 404-237-1234 and let them know that you are with AgrAbility. If you are in need of an accessible room, you need to click the “accessible room” box when you enter your dates to search for the room. If all accessible rooms at the Grand Hyatt are booked, you can reserve an accessible room at Embassy Suites Atlanta/Buckhead by calling 404-261-7733; talk to Tonya Wright and let her know that you are with the AgrAbility National Training Workshop and need an accessible room. Please specify if you need a roll in shower.
The King rooms at the Grand Hyatt have sold out for Monday and Tuesday night. There are still Double rooms available Sunday-Wednesday nights. If you need to stay through Thursday night, and don’t mind switching rooms, you can reserve a Double room for most of the week and switch to a King on Thursday. You will have to make 2 separate reservations.
You can also stay at the Embassy Suites across the street if you would rather not switch rooms. You can book directly on their site HERE.
The hotel block closes on February 26, 2024
We have a discounted parking rate for attendees- $28 per night for self-parking and $39 per night for valet parking.
The hotel does not have a shuttle from the airport.
The Hartsfield-Jackson airport is about a 30-minute ride by car (depending on traffic and time of day), and rental cars, taxis and shared ride services are easily available from the airport.
You can find more information on their website here https://www.atl.com/ground-transportation/#1641608147211-8f7bc094-6a59.
Public Transportration
Atlanta’s MARTA transit system runs to and from Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. Fares are $2.50 each way. From the airport, Grand Hyatt Atlanta guests should board Northbound trains (N to North Springs). Exit at the Buckhead Station N7 onto Peachtree Road S. The Buckhead Station is two blocks from the hotel.
Transportation for those with a disability
Hartsfield-Jackson offers several modes of ground transportation are available to passengers with disabilities, such as Taxis, Limousines, Shared-Ride Shuttles, Hotel Shuttles, and Off-Airport Parking Shuttles.
You can find more information on their website here https://www.atl.com/ground-transportation/#1641608147211-8f7bc094-6a59.
Don’t hesitate to contact the ground transportation companies to request special assistance, a wheelchair lift, or ramp-equipped transportation. A complete list of companies and services is available here https://apps.atl.com/Passenger/GroundTransportation/.
For additional information, contact ATL Ground Transportation at (404) 530-6674.
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) public transit system includes elevator access for customers with disabilities. For more information on MARTA’s passenger services, call (404) 848-4711 or visit https://itsmarta.com/.
Greyhound Lines, the nation’s largest provider of intercity bus transportation, offers assistance to customers with disabilities. The Greyhound system includes a boarding and departure destination at Hartsfield-Jackson with direct access to the Airport’s domestic terminal north building.
For assistance, contact Greyhound at (800) 752-4841 at least 48 hours before departure, or visit https://www.greyhound.com/en.
Registration
Registration is open! Click HERE
Earlybird pricing ends 2/23/24 at 4 pm ET. Registration ends March 18th
- Earlybird Conference Registration Fee- ends 2/23/24 (does not include Thursday Tour Fee): $450
- Late Registration Fee After 2/23/24 (does not include Thursday Tour Fee): $525
- Farmer/Rancher Registration Fee (does not include Thursday Tour Fee): $400
- Student Registration Fee (does not include Thursday Tour Fee): $250
- One Day Registration Fee – Tuesday (includes banquet): $350
- One Day Registration Fee – Tuesday (without banquet): $275
- One Day Registration Fee – Wednesday: $275
- One Day Farmer/Rancher Registration Fee – Tuesday (includes banquet): $250
- One Day Farmer/Rancher Registration Fee – Wednesday: $200
- One Day Student Registration Fee – Tuesday (includes banquet): $150
- One Day Student Registration Fee – Tuesday: $100
- Tuesday Evening Banquet Only Fee: $125
- Thursday Agricultural Tour Fee: $75 (includes lunch)
- Thursday Guest Tour Fee (for those attending with a full conference participant): $75 (includes lunch)
- Commercial Exhibitor Fee: $800 includes full registration for 1 person
- Non-Profit Exhibitor Fee: $700 includes full registration for 1 person
- State/Regional AgrAbility Project Exhibitor Fee: $75
- Monday Pre-Conference Session – Worksite and Secondary Injury Assessment and Documentation – Fee: $25
- Monday Pre-Conference Tour Fee: $50
- Monday Pre-Conference Session- Mental Health First Aid – Fee: $24
Early bird registration ends February 23rd; after that date, full registration fee will be $525. Registration closes March 18th. There will be no on-site registration.
Cancellation Policy
Full refunds are available before February 28th. Between February 28th and March 14th, you will incur a $100 processing fee. Cancellations after March 14th are not eligible for a refund. Please contact Tess McKeel at (585) 447-9015 with any questions.
If you would prefer to register by mail, you may print a 2024 NTW registration form. 2024 NTW Registration Form
Travel
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
The closest airport is Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Internationa Airport. The airport is about a 30-minute ride by car (depending on traffic and time of day), and rental cars, taxis and shared ride services are easily available from the airport.
Hartsfield-Jackson offers several modes of ground transportation are available to passengers with disabilities, such as Taxis, Limousines, Shared-Ride Shuttles, Hotel Shuttles, and Off-Airport Parking Shuttles.
Don’t hesitate to contact the ground transportation companies to request special assistance, a wheelchair lift, or ramp-equipped transportation. A complete list of companies and services is available here https://apps.atl.com/Passenger/GroundTransportation/.
For additional information, contact ATL Ground Transportation at (404) 530-6674.
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) public transit system includes elevator access for customers with disabilities. For more information on MARTA’s passenger services, call (404) 848-4711 or visit https://itsmarta.com/.
Greyhound Lines, the nation’s largest provider of intercity bus transportation, offers assistance to customers with disabilities. The Greyhound system includes a boarding and departure destination at Hartsfield-Jackson with direct access to the Airport’s domestic terminal north building.
For assistance, contact Greyhound at (800) 752-4841 at least 48 hours before departure, or visit https://www.greyhound.com/en.
Sponsors
Information is available for sponsorship opportunities HERE.
If you would like to pay for your sponsorship by credit card, more information will be coming soon.
Contact JoBeth Rath at 585.402.2059 or jbrath@goodwillfingerlakes.org or Tess McKeel at 585.447.9015 or tmckeel@goodwillfingerlakes.org for questions or more information.
2024 Sponsors
Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association
Faulkner University- Social and Behavioral Science Department
Montane Sparkling Spring Water
Georgia Pecan Growers Association
Travel Stipends for Farmers and Ranchers with Disabilities.
Travel Stipends are available to help farmers/ranchers with disabilities come to the 2024 NTW in Georgia. If you are a farmer/rancher with a disability and would like to attend the 2024 NTW please click on the link below for an online application, as soon as possible, so that you have the best chance of being included in the available budget. If you would prefer to fill out a paper application, you may click on that link below. This form should be mailed to Chuck Baldwin at:
AgrAbility NTW Stipend Committee / 113 W Till Rd. / Fort Wayne, IN 46825
If you have any questions you can contact Chuck Baldwin at 574.306.7329 or baldwi19@purdue.edu, or Tess McKeel at 585.447.9015 or tmckeel@goodwillfingerlakes.org
2024 Farmer/Rancher Stipend Application- Online Stipend Form
2024 Farmer/Rancher Stipend Application- Printable Stipend Form
Exhibitors
Exhibitors are a welcome addition to the Workshop! AgrAbility professionals, partner organizations and farmer clients are eager to learn about products and services that may be of assistance.
The 2024 NTW features exhibitor space with a great traffic pattern, allowing you to catch attendees on their way to and from sessions and meals, and during breaks! Spaces are located in the Grand Ballroom pre-function area.
$800 ($700 for non-profit exhibitor) includes the following:
• One 6’ table and electrical connection if necessary
• Registration for one representative
• Attendance at Conference Sessions of Interest
• Access to Session Handouts and Conference Attendee Listing
• A block of time during AT Show & Tell Session
• Name listed in program, on the website and on a slide in the ballroom
• Conference Meals including: Monday evening reception; Tuesday lunch, breaks and banquet dinner; Wednesday lunch and breaks
2024 NTW Exhibitor application