Nurturing Healing: A Gardening Webinar for People with Disabilities”.

A webinar hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and OneOp, a virtual professional development platform for providers serving military families, will focus on the benefits of gardening for people with disabilities. The free webinar, which takes place from 10-11 a.m. on May 8th, can be accessed by registering at https://tx.ag/OneOpGardening. Participants will receive an email with instructions on how to attend the webinar, and it will also be available for viewing on YouTube Live for those who are unable to access the link. Technical support can be requested by contacting OneOp at contact@oneop.org.

Rachel Brauner, an AgriLife Extension program specialist from Bryan-College Station, shared that the webinar will explore how being in a garden or gardening can improve the mental, physical, and social well-being of those with disabilities. The featured speaker for the webinar is Xuan “Jade” Wu, Ph.D., an AgriLife Extension specialist and assistant professor in the AgriLife Extension Family and Community Health unit. Topics to be covered include explaining the benefits of gardening for individuals with disabilities, strategies for selecting sensory elements, plants, and design features for specific disabilities, and key principles and design elements for creating accessible and welcoming gardens for individuals with varying abilities. The webinar will also address the importance of creating safe and inviting gardens for individuals with disabilities. Overall, this webinar aims to educate participants on the positive impacts of gardening on individuals with disabilities and provide practical insights into creating inclusive garden spaces.