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Agricultural, Farm, and Immigrant Workers with Disabilities

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Disability and Vocational Rehabilitation in Rural Settings

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Abstract

Agricultural work has been the hallmark of the workforce in rural settings. Farm workers, which include a large percentage of immigrant workers, are in a high-risk industry for acquiring injury and disability. The chapter explores the characteristics of farm workers, rate and type of injury and disability, rate of recovery and rehabilitation, and utilization of the VR system. The goal is to identify the responsiveness and appropriateness of the VR services in meeting the needs of farm workers.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, NC, USA

    Glacia Ethridge, Kayla D. Goodman & Delia R. Kpenosen

  2. South Carolina State University, Orangeburg, SC, USA

    David Staten

Authors
  1. Glacia Ethridge
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  2. David Staten
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  3. Kayla D. Goodman
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  4. Delia R. Kpenosen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Glacia Ethridge .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Early Childhood, Special, Education, and Rehabilitation Counseling, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA

    Debra A. Harley

  2. College of Health and Human Services, Rehabilitation Services and Rehabilitation Counseling, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, USA

    Noel A. Ysasi

  3. Department of Early Childhood, Special, Education, and Rehabilitation Counseling, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA

    Malachy L. Bishop

  4. Pennsylvania State University, Rehabilitation and Human Services, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA

    Allison R. Fleming

Learning Exercises

Learning Exercises

Self-Check Questions

  1. 1.

    What is the role of AgrAbility in working with agricultural, farm, and immigrant farm workers with disabilities?

  2. 2.

    Why is the collaboration between VR counselors and AgrAbility personnel important to providing services to agricultural, farm, and immigrant farm workers with disabilities?

  3. 3.

    What are factors that VR counselors must consider when establishing eligibility for agricultural, farm, and immigrant farm workers with disabilities?

  4. 4.

    What barriers do agricultural, farm, and immigrant farm workers encounter when seeking worker’s compensation?

  5. 5.

    Identify the cultural considerations that VR counselors must factor when working with agricultural, farm, and immigrant farm workers with disabilities?

Field-Based Experiential Assignments

  1. 1.

    Students should take a tour of an agency that provides assistive technology to farmers with disabilities and write a paper that addresses the following: (a) identification of the various assistive technology that can be used by agricultural, farm, and immigrant workers with disabilities; (b) discuss how this technology can be used to assist agricultural, farm, and immigrant farm workers with disabilities; and (c) identify the pros and cons that agricultural and farm workers will encounter when using assistive technology.

  2. 2.

    Students are to identify 1–2 vocational rehabilitation and AgrAbility partnerships that have been effective when working with agricultural, farm, and immigrant workers with disabilities. Students should identify the strengths and weaknesses of each program and provide solutions to enhance the service delivery to agricultural, farm, and immigrant workers with disabilities.

  3. 3.

    Students are to work in groups to develop a toolkit that VR counselors can use to disseminate information to clients who are agricultural, farm, and immigrant workers. Information should include, but are not limited to, the services that VR agencies provide, eligibility criteria, and community resources.

Multiple Choice Questions

  1. 1.

    Which of the following is NOT true about immigrant farm workers?

    1. (a)

      Immigrant farm workers have been unable to win compensation cases.

    2. (b)

      Immigrant farm workers do not have a US social security number, which is a necessary requirement for claiming benefits.

    3. (c)

      Immigrant farm workers are reluctant to seek medical attention or workers’ compensation when injured due to a language barrier and their educational level.

    4. (d)

      All farmers are provided with health insurance, regardless of their immigration status.

  2. 2.

    In order to understand the needs of clients, it is recommended that vocational rehabilitation counselors should ______________________ ______.

    1. (a)

      Have experience working on farms and in agriculture.

    2. (b)

      Visit the farm/ranch to obtain a better understanding of the working environment.

    3. (c)

      Seek help from other farmers.

    4. (d)

      All of the above

  3. 3.

    Which of the following is TRUE about typical agricultural, farm, and immigrant farm workers?

    1. (a)

      Women farm workers are typically born in the United States rather than their male counterparts.

    2. (b)

      Male and females farm workers are mostly born in the United States.

    3. (c)

      Most male farm workers are born in the United States.

    4. (d)

      All of the above.

  4. 4.

    The role of a vocational rehabilitation counselor and knowledge of AgrAbility in assisting farmers with disabilities to prevent additional stress is to _________________________.

    1. (a)

      Acquire additional knowledge about programs that would assist in the vocational outcomes and successes for agricultural and farm workers with disabilities.

    2. (b)

      Utilize vocational rehabilitation services that can assist farmers in managing their stress by learning coping skills and linking them with agencies that could assist with managing any debt-related medical bills.

    3. (c)

      Provide funding for farmers with disabilities.

    4. (d)

      Both a and b.

  5. 5.

    Which medical condition is common for agriculture, farm, and immigrant workers with disabilities who work in extreme cold temperatures?

    1. (a)

      Pneumonia

    2. (b)

      Cancer

    3. (c)

      Tissue damage and hypothermia

    4. (d)

      Insomnia, dizziness, and numbness

  6. 6.

    How does the American with Disabilities Act define disability?

    1. (a)

      An individual with a documented disability

    2. (b)

      A person with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities

    3. (c)

      A person who has a record of such an impairment or is regarded as having such an impairment

    4. (d)

      Both b and c

  7. 7.

    When researching disability-related statistics for farmers, which of the following government agencies collects this data?

    1. (a)

      US Department of Labor’s National Agriculture Workers Survey

    2. (b)

      US Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis

    3. (c)

      USDA’s National Agriculture Statistics Service

    4. (d)

      All of the above

  1. 8.

    Which of the following is a FALSE statement regarding the statistics of farmers with disabilities?

    1. (a)

      Farmers have more physical disabilities than the general population.

    2. (b)

      There is an overwhelming amount of statistics on the number of disabilities and types of workers on farm-related injuries.

    3. (c)

      When working with crops and animals, agricultural, farm, and immigrant workers are exposed to pesticides and other hazardous chemicals.

    4. (d)

      None of the above.

  1. 9.

    When referring to farmers working in rural areas, there is a lack of knowledge for all of the following EXCEPT:

    1. (a)

      Physical therapy

    2. (b)

      Mental health resources

    3. (c)

      Knowledge regarding disability and treatment

    4. (d)

      Rehabilitation

  1. 10.

    When working with pesticides, farmers are often impacted by their side effects. All of the following are side of effects of toxins EXCEPT:

    1. (a)

      Nausea

    2. (b)

      Numbness

    3. (c)

      Insomnia

    4. (d)

      Dizziness

Answer Key

  1. 1.

    a.

  2. 2.

    b.

  3. 3.

    a.

  4. 4.

    d.

  5. 5.

    c.

  6. 6.

    d.

  7. 7.

    d.

  8. 8.

    b.

  9. 9.

    c.

  10. 10.

    a.

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Ethridge, G., Staten, D., Goodman, K.D., Kpenosen, D.R. (2018). Agricultural, Farm, and Immigrant Workers with Disabilities. In: Harley, D., Ysasi, N., Bishop, M., Fleming, A. (eds) Disability and Vocational Rehabilitation in Rural Settings. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-64786-9_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-64786-9_14

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-64785-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-64786-9

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

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