After Rick Meister lost his legs in a farming accident, his family thought they had lost him forever. He survived and has now found his way back into his tractor.
Meister’s surgeon was forced to amputate both legs. The surgeon told the family that their father had gone through hell but was going to be okay.
Meister spent 8 days in the hospital and another 11 in a rehabilitation center. Before leaving for home, he was told about a provision in the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act called AgrAbility. The federal program helps producers with disabilities.
Tracy Keninger is the director for rural solutions for Easter Seals, a rural solutions program started in 1986, even prior to AgrAbility.
“We were one of the first programs in the entire country who arranged a program specifically for farming with a disability,” Terry said. Easter Seals helped Meister acquire specialized lifts to help him get around on the farm.
He has never let the outcome of that accident stop him from getting back to work.