Student aids disabled agriculturalists
John Mussler plans on making life easier for agriculturists with disabilities using an Undergraduate Research and Creative Opportunities (URCO) grant.
During the past months, Mussler, a senior in agricultural systems technology and education, has been working part-time for AgrAbility of Utah, a grant program connected with Utah State University and funded by the United States Department of Agriculture. The program is one of 18 in the nation that helps boost farm safety for people who have disabilities but still want to work.
Mussler said his work with AgrAbility gave him the idea for his project. He plans to make a comprehensive Web site showing digital video footage of commercially available devices made for disabled agriculturists.
“It could be something simple like a rubberized shovel handle,” Mussler said. “Or I’ve seen $15,000 lift systems on the side of a tractor for people in wheelchairs.”
People with arthritis, birth defects, vision problems and diseases, for example, will be able to evaluate which products will be the best for them in the privacy of their homes.
AgrAbility has done farm assessments and found there are about 9,300 to 18,600 agriculturists with disabilities in Utah. Mussler will be helping these people.
“Many of these devices are helpful for people without disabilities, too,” he said.
He plans to record people who already own these devices putting them to use. That way, someone looking to buy a device with hand-operated levers to do the job his feet would normally do can see it in action on the Web. Furthermore, the shopper can hear testimonies from those who have used the device, Mussler said.
“It’s free advertising for the manufacturer,” he said.
Rhonda Miller, director of AgrAbility, is Mussler’s adviser and mentor. She said his project is going to make it “a lot easier for farmers to access necessary information.”
Agriculture has one of the highest injury rates for employment, she said. Making it easier to manipulate farming equipment will increase farm safety.
But that won’t be the only outcome.
“John’s learning to conduct research,” she said. “Even the research proposal is a big step.”
Miller is helping Mussler with his research design. She answers questions and offers suggestions.
“[John] seems dedicated,” she said. “He seems to follow through well.”
Mussler said he will use the $500 awarded him by URCO to pay for videotapes, batteries, traveling, phone calls and editing software. The project should be done by September.
When he’s finished he will present a poster on his project at the Capitol.
“I think [my project] will really help people out a lot. Not only those in Utah, but anyone who has access to the Internet,” he said.