NIFA’s AgrAbility program enhances quality of life for farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural workers with disabilities by providing funding for direct assistance, non-formal education, and networking, and uses marketing to direct the public to initiatives, trainings, resources, and partnering opportunities. The University of Maine’s AgrAbility program provides health and safety information for the state’s high visibility professions, including commercial fishing and logging. Missouri AgrAbility, a partnership between the University of Missouri and Lincoln University Cooperative Extension, partnered with the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Pharmacy to minimize health risks and avoid re-injury related to prescription medications for disabled farmers. More than 65 pharmacy students and four pharmacists provided health screenings and education to nearly 2,000 farmers and ranchers. In FY 2016, NIFA awarded $4.2 million in grants through the AgrAbility Program to support 20 state and regional programs. Since initial funding in 1991, NIFA has awarded AgrAbility grants to more than 35 states resulting in on-farm assistance to keep more than 13,000 farmers working while educating thousands of professionals on how to accommodate those with disabilities in agriculture.
NIFA originally published this impact in the NIFA 2016 Annual Report. Want to read about more impacts like this? Check out Fresh from the Field, a weekly bulletin showcasing transformative impacts made by grantees funded by NIFA.
