Cultivating Inclusion: Empowering Farmers with Disabilities for a Thriving Future

Farmers face high risks of injury and disability due to the physical nature of their work. Farmers with disabilities in the Caribbean face unique challenges that often go unnoticed. This study aims to bring visibility to their experiences, highlighting both the coping strategies they employ and the obstacles they encounter, while identifying essential support strategies mainly through extension and advisory services. Interviews were conducted with farmers with disabilities (n=5) and extension officers (n=4) to gain valuable insights into inclusion and accessibility in agriculture. Questions focused on the different types of disabilities farmers have, support structures in place and awareness of such, specific coping strategies utilized, and perspectives regarding training methods and opportunities.Amputation or loss of a limb and visual impairments were identified as the main types of disabilities, notwithstanding mention of hypertension, respiratory ailments, and arthritis. Most farmers were not aware of support organizations or services that they could utilize, nor were they familiar with adaptive tools geared towards assisting farmers with disabilities. Extension officers indicated that they never participated in any type of training to adequately facilitate farmers with disabilities, underscoring the need for tailored support and inclusive agricultural extension and advisory services.