Photo courtesy of Purdue
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s AgrAbility program, led by the National AgrAbility Project and housed at Purdue University’s Breaking New Ground Resource Center in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, has been included in Forbes’ Accessibility 200 list.
The list highlights innovators and impact-makers in the field of accessibility, defined as “providing people with disabilities equitable access to information, content, public spaces and experiences.” Other organizations named on the list work to provide accessibility in areas including communication, education, software, sports and recreation, and the arts.
AgrAbility has enhanced quality of life for farmers, ranchers and other agricultural workers with disabilities for 35 years so that they, their families and their communities continue to succeed. USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture currently supports the National AgrAbility Project and AgrAbility projects in 21 states.
Paul Jones, manager of the National AgrAbility Project, comments on its work being honored two years in a row.
“It’s encouraging that Forbes recognizes the importance of accessibility in all areas of life, including agriculture,” Jones said. “AgrAbility’s listing in the Accessibility 200 puts the program in outstanding company alongside global entities like Amazon, Microsoft, Nike and Sony. As AgrAbility celebrates its 35th anniversary, being listed by Forbes is a testament to decades of hard work by AgrAbility staff members and to the resilience of the farmers we work with.”
A recent publication from AgrAbility titled “Adapting. Not Quitting: 35 Years of AgrAbility” highlights the program’s history, statistics related to major initiatives, and 10 client and staff stories that illustrate how AgrAbility has improved quality of life and cultivated independence for people with disabilities in agriculture for over three decades.
To learn more about AgrAbility and what resources are available, please visit agrability.org.
Source: Purdue University
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