2019 Virtual NTW

2019 AgrAbility Virtual National Training Workshop
January 29-31

Tuesday, January 29

12:00 p.m. EST: Identifying Fatality and Injury Risks for Senior Farmers
- Presentation file
- Sean Tormoehlen, National AgrAbility Project
  - Farmers in the United States are getting older, with the average age currently at 58.3 years old. Aging is known to bring along additional health risks, so it is important to understand the risks older farmers face in agriculture. During this session we will look at senior farmer fatalities in Indiana to identify the most common agents of death for senior farmers, consider how they compare to other age groups, and examine potential solutions.
3:00 p.m. EST: “Virtual” Assistive Technology Show & Tell
- Presentation file
- Paul Jones & Steve Swain, National AgrAbility Project
  - The Toolbox Assistive Technology Database contains more than 1400 products that can benefit agricultural workers with disabilities and is the most visited section of the National AgrAbility Project’s website. This session will start with a brief overview of The Toolbox’s structure and features. Staff will then share examples from The Toolbox of some of the more unique tools that can help make farm, ranch, and other outdoor work easier for anyone – especially for those with disabilities.

Wednesday, January 30

12:00 p.m. EST: Working with Shoulder Injuries in Agriculture (due to technical issues, this webinar was not recorded)
- Presentation file
- Ned Stoller, Michigan AgrAbility & Curt Bishop, Hulst Jepsen Physical Therapy
  - Torn rotator cuffs, dislocated shoulders, and arthritis are very painful and make it difficult for many growers to do their work. Learn how to improve shoulder health with physical therapy and about special tools and equipment accommodations and that can help get the job done in spite of shoulder injuries. Physical therapy can help achieve maximum medical improvement for long-term healing. Assistive tools and devices can enable you to do tasks that would otherwise be impossible with shoulder pain.
3:00 p.m. EST: An Introduction to Vocational Rehabilitation Services
- Presentation file
- Steve Etheridge, National AgrAbility Project and Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation (retired)
  - Collaboration between AgrAbility and State Vocational Rehabilitation Services are some of the most critical relationships in serving agricultural workers with disability. Without VR, many AgrAbility clients would not receive essential services and assistive technology and without AgrAbility, VR would lose an essential link in reaching rural residents with disability.

Thursday, January 31

12:00 p.m. EST: The Accessible Farm Shop: Considerations for Design and Safety
- Presentation file
- Shawn Ehlers, National AgrAbility Project
  - The farm shop is more than just a place to store your tools, supplies, and machinery. For many farms, it is the headquarters of the farming operation. Therefore, the farm shop is a space that needs to work for you and others on the farm! This presentation discusses shop design, useful technologies, safety, and other considerations in order for this important space to be used to its fullest potential. Special attention will be given to universal design of the farm shop to be accessible and usable for all individuals – with and without impairments.
3:00 p.m. EST: Beginning Farmer Basics
- Presentation file
- Tamara Benjamin, Purdue University
  - Beginning farming can be quite challenging, but through careful planning, new farmers can be successful. Understanding the assets that a farmer brings to the farm, including the economic, biophysical and socio-cultural resources, will help to identify the areas where they can concentrate their efforts and strengthen any limitations the farm may possess.

Past VNTW Archives