A new Program: Disabled farmworkers & farmers

[Guest guest]

Hello

This is to inform you of a new project that

is opening its doors to disabled farm workers and farmers

in 13 counties in California. The California AgrAbility Project

(CalAgrAbility) is committed to assisting people with disabilities by

offering a wide range of services and opportunities designed to

encourage maximum independence.

Nearly 20,000 disabling injuries occur each

year on California's farms. This project provides vital

education and assistance to farmers and workers with disabilities.

To accomplish this, the University of California, Farm Safety

Program partnered with Easter Seals Superior California. The 13

counties served by the project include Easter Seals' region:

Amador, Alpine, Calaveras, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, San

Joaquin, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tuolumne, Yolo, Yuba.

A primary goal is to assist individuals

determined to continue their professions in agriculture by helping

them overcome disability barriers and linking them to services. We are

seeking your active participation in reaching this goal. How can

you help? An initial step is to increase awareness of the

program and to identify individuals with disabilities working in

agriculture. Individuals can be referred directly to our staff

or you can contact us. By assisting CalAgrAbility, medical and

agricultural agencies can thereby broaden our resource base in order

to better serve this special population.

Our staff is also available to speak to

small groups about CalAgrAbility to increase awareness of the

project. Through our joint efforts, the quality of life for

disabled farmers, workers and their families can be greatly improved.

I have attached a brief description of the program in English and

Spanish. Please feel free to contact us at (530) 752-2606 or

mcstiles@....

--

Martha C. Stiles

Farm Safety & Rural Health Project

University of California

Dept. of Biological and Agricultural Engineering

One Shields Ave.

, CA 95616-5294

530-752-2606 voice

530-752-2640 fax