New Holland Agriculture, a brand of CNH Industrial, has commercially launched the world’s first accessible farm tractor. The TL5 ‘Acessível’ (Accessible in Brazilian Portuguese), produced at the Brand’s plant in Curitiba (PR), has been designed for people with lower limb disabilities, enabling them to work in fields independently.

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. 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”, says Eduardo Kerbauy, vice president of New Holland Agriculture for Latin America.

First presented as a concept tractor at Rural Coopavel and Expodireto Cotrijal in 2020 – two of the main agricultural fairs in the country – it met with both public and press acclaim. The final product has been created in partnership with the inclusive mobility company Elevittá, Arteprima and Senai from São Leopoldo (RS).

The development of the Accessible TL5 also 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. And safety was always at the forefront”, observes Flávio Mazetto, Director of Product Marketing for New Holland Agriculture for Latin America.