[NFBOH-Cleveland] A Few Good Reads!

Fri Feb 20 16:18:55 UTC 2026

<https://www.statenews.org/section/the-ohio-newsroom/2026-02-19/agrability-k
eeps-aging-and-injured-ohio-farmers-in-the-field> AgrAbility keeps aging and
injured Ohio farmers in the field - OOD Mention

DeWine's Final 'State of State' Address Set for March 11

<https://people.com/all-about-elana-meyers-taylor-family-husband-kids-119077
47> Elana Meyers Taylor's Family: All About the Olympian Bobsledder's
Husband and Kids

AgrAbility keeps aging and injured Ohio farmers in the field

The Ohio Newsroom

February 19, 2026

Len Vonderhaar has been farming corn and soybeans in Preble County since
1962. Each year his love has only grown for his around 2,000-acre utopia.

"We just, we live in a paradise right here in the Midwest," he said.

One of his greatest joys is being out in the field, working alongside his
son and grandson. At 87 years old, he's never once considered stopping.

"I get tired, but not retired," Vonderhaar said. "I probably would never
[retire] unless I'm forced to sit back or settle down. I enjoy getting out
every day."

But, an incident ten years ago put a wrench in that plan: Vonderhaar
suffered a severe spine injury. Suddenly, he couldn't operate the farm
equipment he had used for years.

Injuries, like Vonderhaar's, or chronic conditions, like arthritis or
diabetes, slow Ohioans down as they age. For farmers, these physical
disabilities can threaten their livelihood.

The Ohio AgrAbility Program is working to keep them out in the fields. The
Ohio State University Extension program partners with Opportunities for
Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) and the non-profit Easterseals Redwood to
connect farmers, like Vonderhaar, to free assistive technology.

Keeping farmers in the field

On a cold and windy afternoon, Vonderhaar peered up at his combine. The farm
machinery towers at about 10 feet tall. Its steep and narrow steps have been
too difficult for Vonderhaar to climb since his back surgery.

But, each September, he's still able to harvest, thanks to a mechanical
lift.

"See this button right here?" he said, pressing it down. "You just raise
yourself up."

Ohio AgrAbility installed the combine lift for him, free of charge. Program
director Laura Ackgerman said it's not a hand-out.

"Our food does not come from the grocery store. It comes from a farmer," she
said. "We need them to continue growing."

Agriculture is a taxing occupation. Heavy machinery makes farming an
inherently dangerous profession: 1 out of 14 Ohio farm families experience a
farm-related injury each year, according to the program
<https://agrability.osu.edu/> .

On top of that, the agricultural workforce is aging and dealing with things
like arthritis and diabetes. The average age of an Ohio farmer is 58,
according to an analysis of the USDA Census
<https://www.statenews.org/section/the-ohio-newsroom/2024-03-12/three-takeaw
ays-for-ohio-from-the-latest-agriculture-census> .

AgrAbility coordinators educate disabled farmers on their options, Ackgerman
said. Having trouble moving livestock? A calf cart puts less strain on your
back. Wrists hurt when you rake? They can install a robo-handle to ease the
pain.

"It's too easy to focus on what you can't do. They know exactly what they
can't do. I wanna talk about what you can do," she said.

New beginnings 

This adaptive tech helps around 20 Ohio farmers each year. It's provided by
coordinators who come from agricultural backgrounds and understand the
specific needs that come with planting and tending to livestock.

"It's a way of life, it is a culture, it is truly something that you
understand more if you do it yourself," said Rachel Jarman, one of
Agrability's rural rehabilitation coordinators and a farmer herself. "I
understand the necessity of needing to get back out there, even though your
life may have severely changed."

25-year old Kane Lewis always knew he wanted to follow in his father's
footsteps and become a farmer in West Portsmouth. But, when he became a
paraplegic after a hunting accident at 19, that dream felt far away.

"When I had the surgery, my doctor [asked me], 'What's your major?' And I
said, 'Agriculture.' And he goes, 'Well, you probably should switch it
because a guy in a wheelchair will never be able to have a job in
agriculture,'" Lewis recalled.

He wasn't deterred. He tried using a forklift at home to get in his tractor,
but he didn't feel safe. Agrability coordinators installed a lift on his
truck that could bring him onto any piece of machinery and got him a
motorized wheelchair that easily rolls across soil.

The program didn't just allow Lewis to harvest, it gave him independence.
That's a quality, he said, that every farmer values.

"Man, it's saved my life, I guess is the best way to put it," Lewis said. "I
live life now. I'm not just getting through it. I live life."

  _____  

DeWine's Final 'State of State' Address Set for March 11

Hannah News Service

February 19, 2026  

Gov. Mike DeWine will deliver his final "State of the State" address to a
joint session of the General Assembly next month, per a resolution
introduced and approved Wednesday in the House.

The chamber passed HCR36 (Manning), which sets Wednesday, March 11 as the
date of the speech.

The resolution still needs Senate approval which likely won't happen until
Wednesday, March 4 - the next day a Senate session is set at this point.

It will begin at noon in the House Chambers.

  _____  

Elana Meyers Taylor's Family: All About the Olympian Bobsledder's Husband
and Kids

People

February 17, 2026  

When Elana Meyers Taylor
<https://people.com/team-usa-olympic-bobsledder-elana-meyers-taylor-secures-
gold-medal-in-historic-win-11907533>  won gold for the first time at the
2026 Winter Olympics <https://people.com/olympics-5669938> , she immediately
thought about her husband, Nic Taylor, and their two kids, Nico and Noah.

After seeing the results <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yk7NIaCf6vY>  of
the women's monobob race on Feb. 16, she embraced her sons, who are both
deaf, and signed to them, "Mommy won!"

Elana later gave her children a shout-out for their constant support during
her intense training. "They've been with me every step of the way," she told
<https://www.nbcolympics.com/videos/elana-meyers-taylor-gold-medal-still-fee
ls-surreal>  NBC's Mike Tirico
<https://people.com/nbcs-mike-tirico-explains-why-he-exited-kentucky-derby-c
overage-severe-nut-allergy-11728052> . "It was a late night for them, so
just having them there meant so much to me."

Their firstborn Nico arrived in 2020 and he was diagnosed with Down Syndrome
and hearing loss, per NBC Olympics. The pair later welcomed their son Noah
in 2022 <https://www.instagram.com/p/Clb8dYBPNt8/>  and he was also born
deaf.

"Having Nico, like, that reinvigorated me," Elana told Olympics.com
<https://www.olympics.com/en/news/elana-meyers-taylor-exclusive-parenting-ha
s-really-opened-me-up-to-be-adaptable>  in March 2025. "Knowing he had
disabilities [motivated me] to kind of show him, like, his mom is strong and
his mom can overcome obstacles. If I could do that, so could he."

Elana and her family use ASL and SimCom to communicate

Elana and her family are learning American Sign Language (ASL) and
simultaneous communication - SimCom - to speak with her sons, per NBC Bay
Area <https://www.instagram.com/reels/DU1H7pVkyTq/> .

"Being a mom to two deaf kids is it's kind of crazy in the sense that when
they're born, you're told that you need to learn a whole new language to be
able to communicate with your child," she revealed to NBC Sports. "It's like
walking into this brand new world that you never really knew existed."

Elana's kids support her at her events

Elana's two sons were there when she won her gold medal at the 2026 Winter
Olympics, even if it was "past their bedtime," as she told
<https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7050927/2026/02/16/elana-meyers-taylor-mon
obob-gold-medal-winter-olympics/> The Athletic. "But to have them here and
share that moment with them at the bottom, it was really cool."

For Elana, as an athlete and a mom, winning gold is "everything, and it's
nothing - because in six days, I've got school pick-up in the middle of
Texas," she explained.

Learn more about Elana
<https://people.com/all-about-elana-meyers-taylor-family-husband-kids-119077
47> 's family at People.com.

  _____  

Suzanne M. Hartfield Turner

National Federation of the Blind of Ohio, Vice President

Ohio Legislative Director

Cleveland Chapter, President

The National Federation of the Blind advances the lives of its members and
all blind people in the United States. We know that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the
expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams. Our collective power, determination,
and diversity achieve the aspirations of all blind people.

P: (216) 990-6199

W: NFBOhio.ORG

Facebook:  <https://www.facebook.com/ohiosblind/photos/>
https://www.facebook.com/ohiosblind/photos/

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