2015 Virtual NTW

December 1-3, 2015

Tuesday, December 1

  • 11:00 a.m. EST: Cultural Competency: Outreach to Migrant and Year-round Farmworkers (audio only)
    • Presentation file: none available
    • Mary Jo Dudley, Director, Cornell Farmworkers Program
      • Mary Jo Dudley, Director of the Cornell Farmworker Program and recipient of the 2012 White House Champion of Change Cesar Chavez Legacy Award, will present a webinar on: Cultural Competency: Outreach to Migrant and Year-round Farmworkers. The webinar will provide an overview of farmworker migration trends and common challenges farmworkers face in the areas of health and safety, community integration, and their personal well-being. Through the lens of ‘cultural competency” the webinar will explore effective partnerships and strategies for successful outreach with farmworkers.
  • 3:00 p.m. EST: Updates from NIFA on AgrAbility and Related Programs
    • Aida Balsano, USDA/NIFA
      • AgrAbility’s NIFA program leader discusses the latest developments at the federal level affecting AgrAbility and related programs.

Wednesday, December 2

  • 11:00 a.m. EST: PTSD and the Disabilities of the Post 9/11 War Veteran
    • Captain Guy Zierk, Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment
      • This session will begin by dispelling the myths and defining PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and other injuries associated with war. Participants will then learn how to navigate the VA (Veteran Administration) and learn how they can help veterans to transition into farming.
  • 3:00 p.m. EST: Selecting a Wheelchair for Agricultural Use
    • Dee Jepsen and Brittany Cowgill, Ohio AgrAbility
      • Using a wheelchair during farming and gardening activities requires special considerations of that chair. It’s not just a mobility device; it becomes a work station. This session will provide thoughtful insights to how the chair will be used, as well as questions to ask a medical professional when selecting the right chair for the farm. The virtual session is based on a new resource publication Selecting and Operating a Wheelchair to Meet Your Agricultural Needs, Bulletin 966, The Ohio State University.

Thursday, December 3

  • 11:00 a.m. EST: Secondary Injury: A Conversation with Farmer Ed Bell
    • Presentation file
    • Ed Bell, Indiana Strawberry and Asparagus Farmer
      • Ed Bell has been farming with a spinal cord injury since 1983. During that time, he has encountered many additional physical challenges in addition to his primary disability. Recently, he experienced months of hospitalization and rehabilitation due to medical issues. Ed will discuss his experiences and provide tips for farmers with disabilities and those working with them.
  • 3:00 p.m. EST: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Arthritis: Overworking the #1 Tool in a Farmer’s Toolbox
    • Ned Stoller, Michigan AgrAbility and Amber Wolfe National AgrAbility Project
      • Participants will learn such things as common symptoms and causes of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), examples of agricultural tasks associated with CTS, alternate work strategies and assistive technologies, and treatment methods for CTS. The primary focus is the hands and arms and how to accommodate farm tools if a farmer has arthritic hands or CTS. Amber will focus on the CTS background information, and Ned will focus on the assistive technology related to CTS and arthritis in the hands.

Past VNTW Archives

Click here for archived webinars from the AgrAbility Webinar Series