Project Description:
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FY 7/1/2025 to 6/30/26
Agriculture work is considered one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States, with an estimated 50,000 disabled farmers and ranchers in Texas. Disabling conditions such as arthritis, amputation, back injuries, heart conditions, traumatic brain injury, and others impact a producer's ability to perform many of the day-to-day tasks necessary to their operations. These disabilities are often the result of a dangerous work environment where workers often toil in conditions that contribute to or increase the risk of health problems. For example, risks associated with farm equipment operation, handling of livestock, exposure to excessive vibration and motions, potential for increased falls, respiratory hazards, and exposure to extreme temperatures contribute to the overall risk for farmers, ranchers, employees, and family members. There is evidence to suggest that some disabling conditions may increase the risk for secondary injury if preventative steps are not taken. It is estimated that each year, a disabling injury related to work in agriculture occurs on one in every 117 farms. Physical disabilities not related to agriculture increase the rate to one disabling injury for every 24 Texas farms.
Overall Goals and Objectives
The Texas AgrAbility ACE program goal is to connect, assist, and empower agricultural producers, their family members, and employees with disabilities and chronic health conditions to stay engaged in production agriculture. The project does so by:
- Assisting service providers to better understand the unique needs of the agricultural producers as it relates to acquired disabilities and chronic illnesses through training and technical assistance.
- Connecting individuals with a disability to resources specific to their individual needs and to their type of agriculture operation.
- Empowering those who need our services to better navigate the many systems for acquiring disability services and resources, such as assistive technology, to help them in their efforts to remain in production agriculture.
Unusual Features
The Texas AgrAbility Project assists individuals to overcome challenges that might otherwise impair their ability to remain in production agriculture by providing:
- Education to individuals with disabilities and their families engaged in production agriculture, as well as service providers who work with them, to increase knowledge about accommodating disabilities, improving function, and avoiding secondary injuries.
- Consultative assistance such as individualized farm and ranch assessment, home environment assessment, financial business analysis, and technical assistance to farmers and ranchers with disabilities and/or chronic illnesses to increase the likelihood that these agriculture producers will remain in production agriculture
- Networking and marketing of the Texas AgrAbility Project to build the capacity to deliver services to the agricultural production employment field through networking and marketing activities with include the dissemination of information, and the identification of AgrAbility clients. Additionally, project staff will foster linkages to disability and health resources.
Expected Benefits
By adopting AgrAbility's recommendations, persons in the AgrAbility program will increase their ability to:
o Retain/maintain employment in chosen profession
o Manage their farm/ranch
o Complete chores
o Operate machinery
o Fully engage with their worksite
Additional expected benefits include:
o General population awareness of employment options for individuals with disabilities in production agriculture
o Disabilities service providers awareness of employment options for individuals with disabilities in production agriculture
o Positive economic impact at the individual, community, and state levels.
Non-Technical Summary
The project's overall goals are to strengthen the competencies of Texas AgrAbility clients and service agencies to accommodate disabilities and prevent secondary injuries in production agriculture, while also expanding agency capacity to effectively serve this population. The project will: 1) Provide education for producers, families, farmworkers, service providers, and agricultural professionals to improve disability accommodation and injury prevention skills; 2) Increase Texas AgrAbility's service capacity through networking that promotes information sharing and coordinated services; 3) Deliver direct client assistance through early intervention, individualized consultations—including product selection, accessibility and ergonomic recommendations, farm operations planning, advocacy for services and financial aid, and resource connections; and 4) Enhance marketing and outreach to raise project awareness among key audiences, with targeted efforts to reach military veterans and women in agriculture.
Accomplishments
The project's overall goals are to enhance the connected competencies of Texas AgrAbility clients and service agencies to accommodate disabilities and avoid secondary injuries for persons w/disabilities engaging in production agriculture, as well as increase the capacity of service agencies to serve this population. To accomplish this the project will:
1. Provide education to the connected communities (producers, family members, farm workers, service providers, & agriculture professionals) to enhance the competencies necessary to accommodate disabilities and avoid secondary injuries in persons with disabilities engaging in production agriculture.
2. Increase the service capacity of Texas AgrAbility through networking that promotes information sharing and coordinated services for the direct benefit of clients.
3. Provide direct, individualized early intervention assistance to farm and ranch families and employees experiencing disabling conditions, including product selection guidance, accessibility and ergonomic recommendations, life activity and farm operations planning, advocacy for services and financial aid, and connections to resources that improve working environments and support client success.
4. Augment marketing and outreach to increase project awareness among key audiences, with targeted efforts to reach veterans, women in agriculture, producers and farmworkers with and without disabilities, and the agencies that serve them. Formative and summative evaluation measures will guide program improvement, and long term sustainability will be supported through strategic partnership engagement beyond the life of the project.
What was accomplished under these goals? (Year 4)
Education
• 9 service providers completed the Texas AgrAbility course Serving Farmworkers with Disabilities and Health Conditions, with knowledge gains from 5.2 to 7.8 on a 10 point scale.
• The Total Farmer Health Coach delivered 3 QPR suicide prevention trainings to 30 agricultural community members, with 100% reporting they would now directly address suicide concerns.
• The Total Farmer Health Coach provided 8 programs on stress awareness and rural mental health to 200 community professionals (law enforcement, veterans, medical providers), including QPR and
AgriStress Helpline resources.
• Two educational videos—Adaptive Kitchen Utensils and How to Collaborate with Peer Groups—were produced with BVCIL and TWC VR and shared on social media and YouTube to support farmers and ranchers accessing VR services.
• Conducted quarterly Partner Advisory Council meetings to expand outreach.
• Completed Quality of Life pre/post surveys for AgrAbility clients and submitted results to National AgrAbility.
• Held monthly case management meetings with Texas Workforce Commission VR.
• Developed and distributed a promotional card with a QR code linking to upcoming events.
• Delivered 4 online trainings to 71 healthcare students, increasing competencies in worksite assessments, risk assessments, task modification, and assistive technology.
• Provided 4 in person presentations to 60 high school students on ergonomic and adaptive devices.
• AgrAbility staff and one PAC farmer advisor attended the National AgrAbility Training Workshop for professional development and peer support.
• Supervised 2 OT interns for 1,120 hours, expanding client services and educating future practitioners.
• Used the Texas AgrAbility Assessment Tool and Protocol for 16 farm assessments with OT students and contractors.
• 16 occupational therapists and rural health practitioners enrolled in the online course Working with Farmers & Ranchers with Disabilities; 8 completed it with a 38% knowledge gain.
• Conducted 6 programs for 82 veteran farmers with disabilities, providing 57 educational hours.
• Conducted 7 programs for 243 Texas Ag Agents, providing 200+ educational hours on agricultural inclusion.
• Delivered a statewide program to 30 participants from the Texas Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities.
