At Farm Safety Day Camps in West Virginia, WV AgrAbility staff provided training sessions for small groups of school children on topics of disability awareness and assistive technology equipment used during farmwork. The children were taught that accidents are not a normal part of any job and that accidents should not be "brushed off" as such. The children were taught that there are ways to prevent incidents that could potentially result in deaths of any, even children. A total of 165 students attended the WV AgrAbility staff presentations at the Tyler County Farm Safety Day Camp on May 10. A total of 345 students attended the WV AgrAbility staff presentations at the Wood County Farm Safety Day Camp May 21-22.
In June, WV AgrAbility will attend ISASH and RESNA events, conduct farm assessments and visitations, and visit local Department of Rehabilitation Services offices. Staff plan to discuss potential funding options with DRS representatives and provide AgrAbility program updates, and help the representatives determine various assistive technologies and equipment that are available for use by farmers and farm workers.
Submitted by Jan Della-Giustina