New Holland Agriculture has commercially launched the world’s first accessible farm tractor. The TL5 "Acessivel" (Accessible in Brazilian Portuguese), produced in Curitiba (PR), has been designed for people with lower limb disabilities, enabling them to work in fields independently.
Content provided by CNH Industrial
According to the 2019 National Health Survey, published by the Brazilian Ministry of Health together with the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, Brazil has 17.3 million people over the age of two with some type of disability (8.4 % of this population), with 7.8 million having physical lower limb disabilities. Of the total number of people with a disability in Brazil, 2.9 million live in rural households.
“People with disabilities, including those who live and work in the countryside, want autonomy so they can carry out their activities independently,” said Eduardo Kerbauy, VP of New Holland Agriculture for Latin America, in a statement. “This is the main premise of inclusion. As a full-liner brand, whose portfolio meets the needs of small, medium, and large producers, New Holland is further expanding its product range with the launch of the accessible tractor. It will help eliminate barriers that today make it impossible for many farmers to get on a machine.”
The development of the Accessible TL5 involved the participation of a New Holland customer, who uses a wheelchair.
“As a brand committed to improving overall customer experience, this accessible tractor emerged from the real needs of many farmers, and they played a fundamental role in the development of the final product,” said Flávio Mazetto, director of product marketing. “And safety was always at the forefront.”
Following the concept’s success, New Holland has sought to make the commercialized unit financially viable. An opportunity was identified through a Brazilian government financing line – the ‘Rota 2030’ (Route 2030), which sees most of the investment absorbed by the government to support and encourage innovation projects in the field of social inclusion.
Developed on the TL5 tractor platform, which benefits from over two decades of continual development, the TL5 Acessível is available in 80-, 90- and 100-horsepower versions. The range is versatile and robust, being aimed at small, mid-sized and family farms. This multipurpose tractor is ideal for all applications including soil preparation, planting, lime spreading, silage making, mowing, spraying, fertilizing, loader work and other general applications.
Alongside new TL5 units, those from model year 2019 onwards can also have the accessibility platform retrofitted.
“With the launch of this accessible tractor, we want to empower people,” said Paulo Máximo, director of commercial marketing. “It is not just a question of making new technology available in the agricultural machinery market, but also enabling people with disabilities to return to their occupations with independence.”
The tractor has been designed to deliver the same operating experience for everyone, offering comfort, safety, and performance. This is thanks to the lifting platform and joystick which enable the operator to enter and exit the tractor unaided, they can then access the operator seat and machine controls, which have been adapted to facilitate operation, all while maintaining the internal space and ergonomic operation. Moreover, this tractor can also be operated by people without reduced mobility.
Source: CNH Industrial
