And in rural areas, being shut out of church means much more than missing Sunday morning services. It also can mean being shut out of the community. We discovered that church accessibility was the top community accessibility concern of farmers with disabilities. Delks points out that churches play a special role in rural communities, where they often are used for activities such as voting, or for community meetings for groups such as Boy Scouts, Farm Bureau or Cooperative Extension Service. The mission of Purdue's Breaking New Ground Resource Center is to assist farmers who have been disabled.
Agriculture is the major industry in many rural communities, and it has significant risks.
We've responded to the needs of people with disabilities in rural communities in several ways. We've sent out more than 800 kits to rural businesses to help them improve accessibility. We've worked with county Extension offices and fairgrounds to make them more accessible. Now, in working with churches, we're responding to another need. Farmers and others in rural areas who are disabled face a lack of options, Delks explains.