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This article reports on a study to determine the risk of work-related injury as perceived by farmers and ranchers with physical disabilities and whether or not this population actually experiences different frequencies or types of work-related injuries when compared to their able-bodied counterparts. The study was also designed to explore strategies for promoting safe work practices and preventing secondary injuries* while completing farm-related work following a disability.

A survey instrument was developed and administered to 1,954 farmers and ranchers whose names appear on the mailing list of Purdue Universitys Breaking New Ground Resource Center and who are known to have severe physical disabilities. The population surveyed was not a random sample of all farmers and ranchers who have a physical disability but rather a census of the largest known population of farmers and ranchers who have reported to be actively involved in agricultural production with significant physical disabilities.

Slightly over 41% of those responding to the survey reported spinal cord injury as their disability and 29.7% reported either an upper or lower limb amputation. Thirty-one percent were farming full time with another 37.1% farming part-time. Twenty-five percent of the respondents reported having had a farm-related injury they believed was the result of their physical disability. Most secondary injuries were livestock-related, primarily beef cattle, followed by falls. The survey found that the nature of work-related injuries of farmers with physical disabilities tended to mirror those occurring to able-bodied farm operators except for the higher incidence of bruising and pressure sores occurring among the population reporting spinal cord injury as their disability type. The survey found that 60.1% of the respondents believed they were at a greater risk of being injured on their farm or ranch because of their physical disability. Survey results also indicated a need for specially designed educational materials related to safe work practices and preventing secondary injuries while completing farm-related work following a disability.