{"id":2651,"date":"2016-06-14T10:43:34","date_gmt":"2016-06-14T14:43:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/agrability\/?page_id=2651"},"modified":"2026-04-30T10:30:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T14:30:13","slug":"vision-and-hearing-loss","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/agrability\/solutions-and-resources\/farmer-health\/vision-and-hearing-loss\/","title":{"rendered":"Vision and Hearing Loss"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theiris.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-2656 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/agrability\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/06\/Screen-Shot-2016-06-14-at-10.45.14-AM.png\" alt=\"Screen Shot of the Iris Network brochure: Vision with no limits.\" width=\"236\" height=\"415\" srcset=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/agrability\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/06\/Screen-Shot-2016-06-14-at-10.45.14-AM.png 236w, https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/agrability\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/06\/Screen-Shot-2016-06-14-at-10.45.14-AM-171x300.png 171w, https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/agrability\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/06\/Screen-Shot-2016-06-14-at-10.45.14-AM-80x140.png 80w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 320px) 85vw, (max-width: 768px) 67vw, (max-width: 1024px) 62vw,236px\" \/><\/a><strong>Vision Loss<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theiris.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>The Iris Network<\/strong><\/a> is a community-based, state-wide, organization dedicated to serving people who are visually impaired or blind. The goal is independence and community integration. Registered 501 (c) (3).<\/p>\n<p>Network resources: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.maine.gov\/rehab\/dbvi\/index.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Division for<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.maine.gov\/rehab\/dbvi\/index.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the<\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.maine.gov\/rehab\/dbvi\/index.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> Blind and Visually Impaired (DBVI).<\/a><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Hearing Loss<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Hearing loss among agricultural workers is a fact. While some attribute it to the aging process, among agricultural workers it is mostly caused by long term exposure to loud noises and acute exposure to loud noises that damage your ability to hear.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.agrisafe.org\/healthcare\/hearing-loss-prevention\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">AgrisSafe Network<\/a> provides resources about hearing loss in agriculture and noise standards information.<\/li>\n<li>Noise-induced hearing loss is a common and preventable injury for farmers, who are frequently exposed to excessive noise. Farming ranks among the top three occupations with the highest risk for hearing loss. <a href=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/agrability\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2019\/04\/noise_induced_hearingloss.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Noise Induced Hearing Loss (PDF)<\/a><span class=\"st\">\u00a0from Arkansas AgrAbility.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"st\">As a farmer or rancher, you should understand the hand signals, and teach the hand signals to those involved in your operation. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/agrability\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2019\/04\/Hand-Signals.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Agricultural Hand Signals (PDF)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If a hearing loss occurs, appropriate combinations of technology and on-farm work strategies may be employed to accommodate the hearing loss while continuing to farm. <a href=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/agrability\/contact\/\">Contact us<\/a> for specific ideas for your situation.<\/p>\n<p>Network resource: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.maine.gov\/rehab\/dod\/index.shtml\">Division for<\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.maine.gov\/rehab\/dod\/index.shtml\"> th<\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.maine.gov\/rehab\/dod\/index.shtml\">e<\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.maine.gov\/rehab\/dod\/index.shtml\"> Deaf, Hard of Hearing &amp; Late Deafened<\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.maine.gov\/rehab\/dod\/index.shtml\"> (DoD)<\/a><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Technical Articles<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Plowshares are technical articles that have been published by the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.agrability.org\/affiliated-collaborators\/#bng\">Breaking New Ground Resource Center<\/a>.\u00a0 Each report focuses on a specific topic on farming\/ranching with a disability.\u00a0 This report spotlights <a href=\"http:\/\/www.agrability.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/ps23.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Farming with a Hearing Impairment (Issue 23) [PDF]<\/a> and this is focused on <a href=\"http:\/\/www.agrability.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/ps13.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Farming with a Visual Impairment (Issue 13) [PDF]<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Fact sheets are also available from other state AgrAbility projects. From Ohio AgrAbility: <a href=\"http:\/\/ohioline.osu.edu\/aex-fact\/pdf\/AEX_981_16.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Farming with a Visual Impairment, AEX-981.16-13<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Vision Loss The Iris Network is a community-based, state-wide, organization dedicated to serving people who are visually impaired or blind. The goal is independence and community integration. Registered 501 (c) (3). Network resources: Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired (DBVI). Hearing Loss Hearing loss among agricultural workers is a fact. While some attribute it [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":5346,"menu_order":15,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"templates\/page-withsidebar.php","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2651","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"taxonomy_info":[],"featured_image_src_large":false,"author_info":{"display_name":"","author_link":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/agrability\/author\/"},"comment_info":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/agrability\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2651","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/agrability\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/agrability\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/agrability\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/agrability\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2651"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/agrability\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2651\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9453,"href":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/agrability\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2651\/revisions\/9453"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/agrability\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5346"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/agrability\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2651"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}