North Carolina

NC AgrAbility actively participated as an exhibitor in the 2018 NC Rehabilitation Association Conference on November 8, 2018.

• More than 100 vocational rehabilitation counselors had the opportunity to learn about the program and to interact with some of the Show and Tell Tool Kit ergonomic tools that make daily life in the home and garden easier. A good number of counselors and students also signed up to be included on the NC AgrAbility listserv.
• Kristoff Minus presented a poster titled: "Empowering Caregivers of Farmers with a Disability through NC AgrAbility."
• Betty Rodriguez trained vocational rehabilitation counselors on the importance of agriculture, the farming culture, and the importance of collaborating with organizations. The one-and-a-half-hour session was titled: "A Disability that Strengthens Lives and Ties."

November 9- 11, NC AgrAbility participated in the Sustainable Agriculture Conference at Durham, NC, exhibiting the ergonomic tools, explaining about the program, and allowing people to sign up for the program's listserv to keep informed about topics related to agriculture and disabilities. Betty Rodriguez presented a training titled "Preventing Injuries in the Agricultural Workplace" where participants had the opportunity to actively learn how to prevent musculoskeletal disorders by using proper postures, modifying the environment, and utilizing appropriate tools.

November 13-16, Dr. Janine Parker with the assistance of Betty Rodriguez and Kristoff Minus presented at the NC State Extension Office in Raleigh, NC. Titled "Resources for Farmers with Disabilities", the training reached around 30 Extension agents who had the opportunity to learn more about what AgrAbility is and how it operates in NC.

Submitted by Beatriz (Betty) Rodriguez