AgrAbility for Africa

On the 14th of May, 2020, the National AgrAbility Project held a Zoom webinar with an international panel discussing the international perspective on vocational rehabilitation and assistive technologies. AgrAbility for Africa staff contributed during the presentation to discuss the state of vocational rehabilitation in Uganda, and also gave their perspective on the overall state of vocational rehabilitation services across Africa.

To view the archived recording of the discussions, click here.

Among other presenters who joined in the zoom meeting was Dr. Bill Field, a professor of agricultural and biological engineering at Purdue University, the Purdue Extension safety specialist, and project leader for the National AgrAbility Project, who shared his perspective on rural rehabilitation efforts in Europe. Beatriz Rodriguez of North Carolina A&T State University provided a brief overview of agriculture in Colombia, and Ned Stoller, an agricultural engineer, assistive technology professional, (ATP), rural rehabilitation specialist with Michigan AgrAbility, and coordinator of the AgrAbility International Network (IAN), described his observations of the farming methods, equipment variations, and availability of materials and fabricators in one region of Mexico.

AgrAbility for Africa, amidst the hold on physical community outreach and educational projects, has had to go virtual to continue to provide support and care for farmers faced with disabilities in Uganda. AgrAbility for Africa staff is working to enhance outreach and impact through expanding partner networks and collaborations. During the month of May, the team held a virtual meeting with the Rural Institute at the University of Montana to discuss challenges of chronic vocational rehabilitation skill shortage in Uganda and Africa at large- and the discussions focused on vocational rehabilitation skills development and assistive technology capacity development in Uganda as a strategic base for expansion to other African states.

Under the arrangement, the rural institute would regularly send experts to Africa to teach skills in vocational rehabilitation care, use of assistive technologies, and other disabilities interventions, to professionals, agriculture extension workers, and village health teams. This would be a stop-gap to fill the big skills shortage and would support the development of transition employment activities and programs such as teletherapy to combat increased isolation and loneliness among farmers and ranchers; a situation that has been exacerbated by the pandemic - especially in areas where access to basic information and resources is limited.

Submitted by Mutumba Faisal