The number of countries afflicted by human-induced disasters has jumped up from an average of five in 1980s to 22 in the year 2000. This unpleasant development has further underlined the needed rehabilitation of men and women who have been physically disabled due to these conflicts, or for any other reasons, with the aim of ensuring them a normal life in the society. Many persons with disabilities have settled in villages and have adopted farming as the main means for living. However, in spite of their disability, they are not given any special attention by extension workers. In view of the increasing emphasis on developing client-focused agricultural extension approaches, FAO conducted a study in rural areas of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 2001 to identify extension and training needs of the farmers with physical disabilities. This publication is an edited version of that unique and elaborate study.
It is hoped that those Member Countries which are confronted with the challenge of rehabilitating persons with physical disabilities in rural areas as productive citizens, would benefit from the findings and recommendations of this study in terms of developing special agricultural extension and training strategies, suitable for this often ignored but equally important segment of farming societies.
Ester Zulberti
Chief
Extension, Education and Communication Service
FAO headquarters, Rome
