Agriculture

Building for the future requires us to take different pieces and combine them with others pieces.

KEY 7. Integration

The Resource Key Joins The Valuable Directory for Disability Inclusion

The Restaurant Redefining How to Build Community

  321 Coffee is a “coffee shop and roaster providing meaningful work opportunities to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”

Equipping youth to process and tell their stories through photography.

A United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) funded program that provides support, education, and assistance to ranchers and farmers with disabilities.

Providing career skills training and employment services to individuals with disabilities to assist them in developing the skills they will need to secure a career within the entertainment industry earning a competitive wage.

Yes I Can Unity Through Music and Education

Technology-centered inclusion solution and employment platform for job seekers with disabilities, mental health conditions, and chronic illnesses. 

Photography and video exhibit – both online and in-studio – that showcases the food-related stories of eight disabled Canadians, eight Canadians from culturally diverse backgrounds, and eight Cowichan Valley food and beverage producers.

Cowichan Valley Disability, Culture and Food Through Art Exhibit

Input from the disabled community is a critical part of any company’s inclusivity efforts. Here’s how to seek out their perspectives.

How to include workers with disabilities in your DEI initiatives

THE Project Why is what comes to mind when starting, agreeing or pursuing any project.

Events have the capacity to bring about change, to create spaces to develop relationships to bring about change, and gather new information to use to bring about change.

Authentic Representation is so important.  Authentic is key because you can have representation without it being authentic. 

Music can be such a powerful tool for activism in the community, leadership through lyrics, and communicating authentic messages. 

Who are we designing for? What are we considering when we are designing? So many more questions that come to mind when designing and more importantly inclusive and accessible design. 

Stay Connected takes on a whole new meaning depending on the person, context, and environment.

Improve your social media presence with The Resource Key's free webinar replay on 4 Ways to Make Your Social Media Inclusive and Accessible. Learn about using alt text, image descriptions, color contrast, and hashtags, as well as best practices for accessible content creation and strategies for creating an inclusive online community. Receive a webinar replay, transcript, PowerPoint, and reference outline with resources for free. Start creating a more diverse and equitable online community today.

4 Ways to Make Your Social Media Inclusive and Accessible - Free Webinar Replay

Inclusive Starter Keys:  Inclusive and Accessible Social Media.

Free Inclusive and Accessible Social Media

The Resource Key Featured Brand this week is AgrAbility.

AgrAbility is a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) funded program that provides support, education, and assistance to ranchers and farmers with disabilities. AgrAbility was started through the 1990 Farm bill, the first eight State/Regional AgrAbility Projects (SRAPs) were funded in 1991. During that time, “the National AgrAbility Project (NAP) was led by Purdue University’s Breaking New Ground Resource Center in partnership with Easter Seals (national office).” Learn more about the history and structure of AgrAbility here. 

Why did The Resource Key want to feature YIC?  

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), more than 200,000 farmers, ranchers and agricultural workers acquire occupational injuries each year that limit their ability to perform essential work tasks. It is important that people with disabilities are included in the agriculture industry. AgrAbility “enhances the quality of life for agricultural workers with disabilities by funding educational programs that advance their knowledge of farm safety, educate health professionals, and adapt new technologies for farmers with disabilities.”

Ensuring people with disabilities have access to employment opportunities in production and agriculture occupations, in addition to assistive technology that is needed for work and daily life activities is important. AgrAbility provides the following valuable supports :

Innovative educational programs to advance individual capabilities.

Direct services to agricultural workers through individual consultations.

Aligning assistive technology with each individual’s needs for work and daily life activities.

Networking opportunities for information sharing, provision of services, and funding from individuals or organizations not employed by AgrAbility.

“Agricultural workers with disabilities are often unable to continue working in a manner they are accustomed to, resulting in reduced productivity and increased chance of secondary injury. But with the help of AgrAbility, many of these professionals are able to put their knowledge and expertise back into the field.” 