“Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun”
-- Solomon
The story is told at the time when the young “over-achiever” Alexander
the Great stopped on one of his travels to visit Diogenes, a highly respected
teacher of that period, and asked him if there was anything the teacher
needed. The man of
wisdom replied, “Only stand out of my light.” Possibly more often than
we realize we are, even with good intentions, actually “blocking the light”
from those who have the creativity and motivation to solve their problems
and achieve their goals on their own. For example, one BNG staff member
reported recently that during a follow-up visit to a farm family, nearly
all of the recommendations made during the initial visit to improve accessibility
had been implemented without additional outside assistance. Door levers
and ramps had been installed, furniture re-arranged, door sills lowered,
re-assignment of chores undertaken, and other simple modifications had
been accomplished without approval from a governmental agency, a stamped
set of blueprints from an engineer or proceeds from litigation. Using their
limited
financial resources and collective creativity, they just did it!
What is hard to figure out about this approach is why so many rehabilitation professionals seem to find fault with it and why so little attention is given to it in the rehabilitation literature. The more typical account goes something like the following: Dr. Field (I’ll poke at myself) and his team turned on the light for someone, held the light for another or designed a new light for someone else. Is it remotely possible, that in our desire to be in the spotlight we, in fact, are putting others in the dark? BNG is averaging over 300 calls a month on the 800 toll-free line and with our limited staff have trouble keeping up at times. I hope that you will be patient with us as we try to provide a meaningful response to everyone.
As you begin the new year, consider adding BNG to your list of worthy causes to support. Through the generosity of many of you we are continuing to publish this newsletter, develop resources for 4-H and FFA programs and respond to requests for technical assistance. Thank-you in advance!
Remember, watch where you stand, you might be blocking someone’s light.
Bill Field, Co-Editor
Barry Delks, Co-Editor
Ed Kirkpatrick, Co-Editor
Preparation and publication of this newsletter was made possible
by: USDA Extension Service Grant #96-EDFA-1-0033
and the generous gifts from our readers.
Ardean Hauschild credits back surgery as the inspiration behind his Dual-Helper cherry-picker arrangement.
“I’m a dairyman and, of course needed a back operation in 1987. The doctor told me to take it easy afterwards,” the Wheaton, Minnesota, inventor recalls. “Well, I asked him if he’s ever had to put a set of duals on a tractor alone? Of course he hadn’t,” Hauschild says. “He just responded that I’d have to find a better way to get the job done.” That’s exactly what Hauschild did and today has an outstanding transportable hoist arrangement that lifts, rotates and even angles rims in for mounting. Interest from neighbors in the device has Hauschild working to market his invention.
Safety was also the driving force that inspired Curtis Bosselman to build his tire caddy. With it a set of duals are securely stored between seasons instead of leaning against shop walls where they can fall. The St. Libory, Nebraska, farmer’s carts make moving duals, even those filled with ballast, a one-person job.
Beyond a simple hoist, Ardean Hauschild rigged his Dual-Help to make mounting duals a one-handed job. For starters he positioned a hard rubber wheel at the end of the hoist’s mast. This allows a rim to be rotated to match holes on an axle’s hub. Tube steel “arms,” which slide on the outrigger wheel frames, prevent tires from tipping in at bottom during transport and installation. A hood found below the mast’s wheel is used to lift other items like truck rims and oil barrels. Hauschild designed the boom to extend to handle other jobs. He utilizes heavy-duty turnbuckles both to lift the mast as well as tip the entire boom in and out (which also helps in mounting duals.)
“I built the rig heavy enough that you can tow it to the field to take
off a heavy part and bring it home to
repair,” Hauschild adds.
For more information contact, Hauschild at Box 115, R #1, Wheaton, MN 56296 (320-563-4539).
*Reprinted with permission from Successful Farming, November 1996.
[Photo caption:]
Moving duals is a back-breaking job that is dangerous as well — particularly
when manhandling tires filled with ballast.
Curtis Bosselman’s solution to the problem was some angle iron, tube
steel and castering wheels. The resulting cart, when
used in combination with a frame hoist, “makes attaching or taking
off duals strictly a one-man job,” Bosselman points out.
He was fortunate to salvage the frame to create his dual caddy from
some old carts sold by a local ordnance plant. “But you
could easily build the same thing from scrap steel. Be sure the wheel
base is long enough so the tires hand down between the
castering wheels 6-8 inches off the floor. Otherwise, the tires are
too high which makes the cart top heavy.”
Tires are suspended from a mast in the center of the cart. That mast and the cross support it stands on are made of 8-inch well column tubing. The mast suspends tires during storage which prolongs their life. Bosselman also added a bolt rack on the back of the cart (below his arms in the photo) that stores all bolts used to mount each rim.
The Dual Lift system allows one person to mount both hub and band style
duals. Only one wrench is needed and the operation can be performed in
the field or in the workshop. The system consists of a clamping assembly
and a hydraulic
jack assembly. The style of dual and the rim diameter determine which
model and size of Dual Lift is needed. Different size
axles require different axle adapters. There must be at least 1/2 inch
of axle exposed outside of the wheel hub to be able to attach the clamping
assembly. After the clamping assembly is in place on the end of the axle,
a dual is “walked” into position against the inside tractor wheel. The
hydraulic jack assembly is then slid onto the clamp. The dual is lifted
by the jack and manually rotated to align lug bolt holes of hub style duals,
or clamp anchors of band style duals.
AgrAbility for Pennsylvanians
Doug Schaufler
AgrAbility for Pennsylvanians
Pennsylvania State University
Department of Ag & Extension Education
323 Agricultural Administration Building
University Park, PA 16802
(814) 863-7868
(814) 863-4753 (FAX)
Linda Fetzer
AgrAbility for Pennsylvanians
Easter Seal Society of Central Pennsylvania
1300 South Allen Street
State College, PA 16801
(814) 234-4434 (Vc/TDD)
(814) 238-3721 (FAX)
For some reason most people think of Pennsylvania as a “big city” state.
Truth is, Pennsylvania has the largest rural population of any state in
the United States. In between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, there are lots
of small towns and rural
communities. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture used to call
agriculture “Pennsylvania’s Number One Industry,” but now settles for agriculture
being a “major industry in the state.” Agriculturally, Pennsylvania has
some interesting
claims to fame. Compared to the rest of the country in 1994 crop production,
Pennsylvania placed #1 in mushroom production, with silage corn, grapes,
tart cherries, pears, apples, and processed tomatoes also in the top five.
In livestock production, milk cows, chickens, milk, eggs, sheep, and trout
all placed in the top five when compared to other states. Of the 50,000
farms in Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, 5,030 of them are located in Lancaster
County, famous for the Pennsylvania Dutch farms.
AgrAbility for Pennsylvanians got started in early 1995 with a grant from the Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR). Later that year, Pennsylvania received an AgrAbility project grant, and became an AgrAbility state. Pennsylvania’s project is a joint effort of Penn State Cooperative Extension and the Easter Seal Society of Central Pennsylvania.
Our major activity is the same as other AgrAbility projects, working
directly with farm families affected by disability. This includes answering
questions, finding resources, and coordinating services that allow the
family to make informed decisions about the future. Because of the early
start, backed in part by the PA Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, AgrAbility
for Pennsylvanians has remained closely aligned with OVR. In-service events
for OVR counselors continue to be held to introduce modifications and equipment
to the counselors, and to familiarize counselors with differences that
may exist between clerical and industrial settings and those of an agricultural
operation. Some of these in-services have included
meeting counselors in a morning indoor session, and continuing later
in the day at an operating farm. An effort to identify an “AgrAbility contact”
at each of the sixteen OVR district offices is now underway, and was initiated
by OVR.
Additional activities include working with 4-H and other youth groups
as they further their inclusion of children with disabilities. Presentations
are also made to rural groups that raise the awareness of disability issues.
Alliances forming with the Pennsylvania Initiative on Assistive Technology,
the Rehabilitation Advisory Council, and other governmental and
advisory groups help increase the awareness of the AgrAbility Program.
If you have any questions or comments about AgrAbility for Pennsylvanians, please contact either Doug or Linda at the addresses given above.
BNG Honors Others
BREAKING NEW GROUND AWARD
At the National AgrAbility Training Conference in
Denver, Colorado, two people were honored with the
Breaking New Ground Award. This award is presented to
persons who demonstrate exemplary work in serving
farmers and ranchers with disabilities. The awards were
presented to Brad Rein, National Program Leader of
AgrAbility, USDA, and Brad Marsh, Missouri AgrAbility
Project. Past winners include: Dan Gwin, Therese
Willkomm, Ed Bell, Ed Kirkpatrick, and Hubert Von
Holten.
CHARLES BRADLEY RECEIVES MAYOR’S AWARD
AND SAVES COUNTY MONEY!
Charles Bradley, Spencer, Indiana, recently received
the 1996 Bloomington, Indiana Mayor’s award. Charles has
attended the last two BNG Rural Leadership Conferences
and spoke to this year’s class on “making a difference in
their rural community.” Charles received the award for his
unselfish work in making local communities more
accessible and for his work with schools.
SIGMA ALPHA CONTINUES TO HELP BNG
Sigma Alpha is a professional sorority organized to
promote its members in agriculture. Again, this year Sigma
Alpha has contributed to help promote the work of the BNG
Resource Center.
Sigma Alpha raised funds, helped assemble and mail
hundreds of letters and one member, Carol Puckett works
part-time for BNG. Thank you Sigma Alpha!
BEST PRACTICE AWARD
Breaking New Ground presented the Best Practice
award for Improving the Accessibility of the Purdue
Cooperative Extension Service to the Blackford County
Extension 4-H and Open Fair Board. During the 1996 CES
Annual Conference, Blackford county staff members were
given a plaque and $250. This award is presented to the
Extension Office that has implemented the best practices
and strategies for improving the accessibility of local
extension programs.
KIM MCMANIGAL HELPING OTHERS
Kim McManigal has helped many others over the past
two years. Kim has attended the last two Rural Leadership
Conferences as well as the National Rural Assistive
Technology Conference in Indianapolis. Kim used his van
to pick up and bring other people to the conference. This
past year Kim met with the county commissioners about
making the courthouse more accessible. And as seen in this
photo, Kim made recommendations that were implemented
by a local bank. Kim and his wife have also contributed to a
new resource BNG is working on for caregivers.
Kim McManigal and BWI Bank employee, Lynne Inman, have
something to smile about — accessible parking.
VENTRAC 2320
The VENTRAC 2320 is a unit designed to allow
for easy access by wheelchair for people with
disabilities to become independent in the work place.
The design allows the operator to connect and
disconnect attachments within seconds without leaving
the chair compartment. Some attachments include a
front mounted mower, blade, slip-scoop, leaf blower,
broom, or snow blower which make it a year-round
unit.
VENTRACT is easy to access in a wheelchair.
Finger tip controls also aid with independence for
those only having upper body control. Although the
VENTRAC unit was designed with a person using a
wheelchair in mind, it has an optional seat for anyone
to easily get on and off. For further information
contact: Venture Products, P.O. Box 148, 12657
Church Road, Orrville, Ohio 44667, telephone (330)
683-0075 or email: venture@bright.net
RIK FLUID MATTRESS
RIK Medical, L.L.C., formerly Jay Fluid Mattress,
Ltd., is announcing their new RIK Fluid Mattress. This
mattress is the first non-powered, pressure and shear
relief fluid therapy mattress system.
This mattress provides pressure relief comparable
to powered air systems plus it reduces the shear force
that doubles the effects of pressure, all without the
heat, noise, maintenance, instability, and adjustments
often associated with powered air products.
For more information, contact: RIK Medical, 4755
Walnut Street, Boulder, Colorado 80301. By phone
call 1-800-676-2244, or fax (303) 442-8805.
“HELPING HAND”BOOKLET CAN BE
OF ASSISTANCE TO PEOPLE WITH CANCER
“A Helping Hand” is the title of the new resource
guide published by Cancer Care, Inc. of New York
City.
This little booklet is designed to advise what kinds
of help are available for people with cancer and to
show them where to find it. Whether the individual
wants general information on cancer, or specific
information on services, support or referrals, the guide
gives the answers or directs the person to someone who
can.
For a copy of this handy little guide, write to
Cancer Care, Inc.’s national office at: 1180 Avenue of
the Americas, New York, New York 10036.
JAN TO PROVIDE INFORMATION
ABOUT EMPLOYABILITY OF DISABLED
The Job Accommodation Network (JAN, for short)
is a consulting service that provides information about
job accommodations and the employability of people
with disabilities.
JAN’s helpful consultants are knowledgeable
about a wide range of functional limitations and
capabilities of persons with disabilities. JAN can
provide practical suggestions for worksite
accommodations or available assistive technology.
JAN is as close as your telephone. In the United
States, the number is 1-800-526-7234. In Canada, the
number is 1-800-526-2262.
UNIQUE REHABILITATION DATABASE
NOW AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET
The National Rehabilitation Information Center
(NARIC) is now offering free, expanded access to
REHABDATA, a unique database of literature on
rehabilitation, disability, and assistive technology.
Available through NARIC’s home page
(www.naric.com/naric), REHABDATA on the
Internet contains summaries of some 12,000
documents published since January 1991. These
include research reports, guidebooks, reference
documents, journal articles, conference proceedings,
and audio and video tapes — many of limited
circulation.
“This means more people will have access to our
information,” says project director Mark Odum. “Back
in the 1980s, NARIC made the database available
through an outline vendor, then in the early 1990s
through a computer bulletin board. But neither was as
easy to use or as inexpensive as the new DB/Text
WebServer interface,” Odum adds.
DIGGING DEEPER
Resources to help you break new ground
Problem Solved!
This is a regular column featuring devices or
techniques that offer ideas for “low tech” solutions to
problems encountered by farmers with disabilities.
Home-built solutions, as well as commercially available
items, are highlighted. If you have a solution you would
like to tell us about, please send in a description of the
item or technique and a photograph. You may also call
John Schweitzer, Rural Assistive Technology Specialist,
at 1-800-825-4264 if you have a solution to share or have
questions about this column.
This issue features a technique which can be used by
people with visual impairment to accomplish a wide
range of tasks on the farm.
Bob Miller of Decatur, Illinois, is a farmer who lost
his vision as the result of a farm accident two years ago.
Despite his injury, Bob remains active on the farm thanks
to the modifications he and his wife, Libby, have made.
One of the tasks Bob continues to perform is retrieving
firewood in the winter.
To assist Bob in reaching the existing woodpile,
collecting wood, and returning to the house, a simple rope
line was installed. Only recently blinded, Bob knew he
Problem: Accessing specific areas outside the home for
persons with a vision impairment
Solution: Create a rope line to aid a person in getting to and
back from a specific location independently
Idea From: Duane Brusnighan
AgrAbility Unlimited
Illinois Easter Seal Society
2715 South Fourth Street
P.O. Box 1767
Springfield, IL 62705
could distinguish, by touch, between the varieties of cut
wood in the pile once he got there. To address the
problem of finding the woodpile steel posts were secured
about every 10 feet with a nylon rope stretched snugly
and attached to each post. As Bob negotiates out of his
house and over the patio with his two-wheel cart, all that
is necessary is for him to find the first post. Beyond that,
he can push the cart and follow the rope straight to the
wood pile. Once in the vicinity of the wood pile, Bob
attaches a tether line to the back of his belt to maintain a
sense of direction as he sweeps the area for wood. This
tether line allows him to easily return to the end of the
rope line when he has wood to put on the cart. After
filling his cart Bob then uses the rope line to retrace his
steps back to the house.
Bob uses his two-wheel cart and nylon rope to gather
wood from his woodpile.
This modification is simple to make and is
inexpensive. The same principle could be applied for
several different situations. Minor adjustments can be
made to the system for greater ease of use or to suit
different needs. For example, a retractable tether line may
provide greater freedom for the user.