Technology
Agriculture
National AgrAbility Project celebrates 35 years, Forbes’ Accessibility 200 recognition
AgrAbility connects farmers, ranchers and other agricultural workers with disabilities with appropriate assistive technology needed for work and daily living activities. (AgrAbility photo) WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) 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.
About Purdue University
Purdue University is a public research university leading with excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities in the United States, Purdue discovers, disseminates and deploys knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 106,000 students study at Purdue across multiple campuses, locations and modalities, including more than 57,000 at our main campus locations in West Lafayette and Indianapolis. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 14 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap — including its integrated, comprehensive Indianapolis urban expansion; the Mitch Daniels School of Business; Purdue Computes; and the One Health initiative — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.
Writer/Media Contact: Olivia De Young, odeyoung@purdue.edu
Source: Paul Jones, jonesp@purdue.edu
