עברית
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JDC-Israel
Division for Disabilities and Rehabilitation
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News from the Division for Disabilities and Rehabilitation
Israel Unlimited
Israel Unlimited is a strategic partnership between the Government of Israel, JDC-Israel and the Ruderman Family Foundation, for the planning and developing of services for the advancement and integration of people with disabilities in the community, with core funding of 24 million NIS over four years.
Israel Unlimited is the flagship of the Division for People with Disabilities and Rehabilitation within JDC-Israel.
The partners are: the Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Services, the _3.jpg) Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Finance, the National Insurance Institute, JDC-Israel, the Ruderman Family Foundation. The target population of Israel Unlimited is 697,000 adults with physical, sensory, emotional, cognitive and health related disabilities, who live in the community.
Israel Unlimited will develop services that promote independent living and participation in the community such as Supportive Communities for the Disabled and Centers for Independent Living; will address needs of disabled at high risk; and will develop health prevention and health promotion programs tailored to various types of disabilities.
The President hosts disabled leaders at the Iftar feast
 Every year the president hosts an Iftar feast during the month of Ramadan for notables and leaders from the Muslim community.
For the second year in a row, cooperation between the Masira program of the JDC-Division for Disabilities and Rehabilitation and the President's office, led to the inclusion of disabled leaders from the Arab community in the event. These included disabled activists from Sakhnin (Al Manal and the Center for Independent Living) and the south (Equality and Justice Organization and Center for Independent Living in Beersheva) who thanked the President.
Arabic Hebrew and Sign Language – All in One Meeting
The end-of-year event of "women leading change" an empowerment group for Bedouin women who are deaf was conducted in three languages simultaneously – Arabic, Hebrew and sign language. Over 100 people participated in the event: Bedouin women and men who are deaf and family members. The women spoke about how the experience in the group provided them with the opportunity to meet others like themselves, to learn about their rights and services available for people who are deaf and the courage to leave the isolation of the home. "We gained self-confidence, we learned that we can dream and to turn the dream into a reality, we can work, study, and raise a family, we learned about our rights and how to share that knowledge with other women who may need it, we met people who are deaf from other parts of the country." The group is an activity of the "Masira – Journey" program for the advancement of the status of people with disabilities in the Arab society in Israel was conducted through a partnership of the Division for Disabilities and Rehabilitation of JDC-Israel, The Institute for the Advancement of Deaf People, the Hura Community Center and with the assistance of Dr. Alfred Bader
Members of the Supportive Community Enjoy an Outing at the Hula Nature Reserve
 Thirty-three (33) members of the Kiryat Shemona Supportive Community for the Disabled accompanied by family members enjoyed an outing at the Hula Nature Reserve, which is accessible for people with disabilities. All the members, each with differing abilities, enjoyed the exploring the natural environment of the park, watching the audio-visual presentation about the Reserve and taking part in a communal picnic among the eucalyptus trees. The social activities offered as part of the basket of services through the Supportive Community for the Disabled includes three outings a year.
For some members of the community this is their only opportunity to visit parks and other heritage sites.
Health and Function Promotion Among People with Disabilities
 A "Brainstorming" meeting on "Health Promotion, Prevention and Function Among People with Disabilities" was held at the beginning of May as part of the developmental phase of the Disabilities and Chronic Illness Area of Israel Unlimited. This new area focuses on the needs of adults with disabilities who are at higher risk for and have chronic illness, and people with chronic illness which may limit their daily function and people with multiple disabilities. Participating in the meeting were professionals, among them people with disabilities, from a number of fields: health promotion, rehabilitation, adapted physical activity, nutrition, accessibility and others. The purpose of the meeting was for mutual acquaintances and learning and setting the stage for future collaboration.
Community Support ("120 Strong")
Eshel and the Division for Disabilities and Rehabilitation began a "Community Support" ("120 Strong") program that is a partnership of JDC, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Services and the Ministry of Health. The program is based on the "120 Strong" program that was implemented during "Operation Cast Lead". During this time of relative quiet, the program is being adapted in order to be prepared to respond to the needs of the elderly and disabled people who live in the community during future emergencies. The Community Support program will identify and collect information on elderly and disabled people in the municipality, will create a core group of volunteers to work during the emergencies and will coordinate the efforts in the event of an emergency. The program, which is supported by the emergency fund of the JFNA, will help establish the model and will be implemented for a year and a half in three locations: Beer Sheva, Netivot and the Shaar Hanegev Regional Council.
"Accessible Community" celebrates a decade of activity
In mid-January, the Accessible Community program held a conference celebrating a decade of activity. The program seeks to promote equal opportunities for people with disabilities through improved accessibility (physical, social, informational, policy-making) and increased participation in community life. There are 50 Accessible Communities in Israel with over 700 volunteer activists.
Partnering in the Accessible Community program are: the Division for Disabilities and Rehabilitation, JDC-Israel; the Association of Community Centers; the Ministry for Social Affairs and Social Services; the National Insurance Institute; the Ministry of Health; the Ministry of Education; and the local authorities.
At the conference, Nahum Itzkovitz, the Director General of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Services, announced that he will work towards establishing an additional 25 Accessible Communities.
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Division Background
Since its establishment in 1914, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (AJJDC) has been working for the advancement of people with disabilities, while responding to their special needs. The character and emphasis of these efforts have adapted to the changing conditions and needs of Israeli society. Through the years, the focus of the Division for Disabilities, has adapted accordingly, shifting from direct assistance and development of institutional services to the establishment of educational and training frameworks, the development of voluntary organizations and community services, to the construction of information and research databases.
In spite of the resources invested by the government's welfare system and a range of voluntary bodies, many essential needs remain unmet. The Division for Disabilities and Rehabilitation was established to meet those needs through partnership with national and municipal entities, the voluntary sector and academia. Israel Unlimited is such a partnership. | |
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Division Activities
The Division for Disabilities and Rehabilitation in JDC-Israel focuses on the development and implementation of solutions that meet the specific needs of Israel’s adult population (age 21-65) with disabilities, which today comprises 18% of this age group and numbers some 700,000 people. This population includes people with physical disabilities, those with sensory disabilities (blind and vision-impaired, deaf and hearing-impaired) and those with cognitive or mental disabilities.
The Division addresses their multi-faceted needs in the following areas:
Community-Based Support Services for Independent Living
Peer-to-Peer Professional Assistance and Leadership Development
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Blind counselors operate information units for the newly blind and hearing-impaired volunteers act as information providers in information units for their peers.
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Deaf mentors work with pupils in schools and in the community
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Women with disabilities develop services specifically for women with disabilities
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Accessibility activists with disabilities promote physical accessibility
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Mediators with disabilities specialize in resolving disability-related conflicts
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Members of the following organizations: Disabled Now – Movement for the Rights of People with Disabilities, Equality & Justice for the Disabled, the National Disabled Organization, Bekol for the hearing impaired, Access Israel and Achva are setting up the first centers of their kind for independent living in Israel
Promoting Accessibility
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Incorporating the concept of accessibility into everyday life by raising public awareness;
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Developing models of accessibility in communities and increasing the involvement of people with disabilities in decision-making processes on issues that relate to their lives;
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Improving accessibility to information on services and entitlements.
Promoting the Status and Condition of People with Disabilities in Outlying Regions
People with Disabilities in the Arab Society in Israel
- Strengthening NGOs for the disabled
- Making information accessible
- Changing attitudes toward the disabled
- Promoting inter-sector coordination
Emergency Programs
- Increasing the preparedness of people with disabilities, professionals and volunteers to cope with emergency situations
Knowledge, Management and Training
The Division engages in training programs and in the development and dissemination of knowledge. Its core programs are evaluated and the Division produces resources such as printed reports and manuals that are distributed to the target population at seminars and conferences. | |
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(English abstract is available at the end of the report)
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Daniella Brafman, the founder and first director of the Center for Independent Living (CIL) in Jerusalem (on left ) and Michelle Taller, Coordinator of the Peer Counseling Program at CIL
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Graduates of the Deaf Storytellers course
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Hannah and Shay Lavee, members of the Supportive Community for People with Disabilities in Gilo, Jerusalem
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Practicing teamwork: cracking the kno
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International Day for Disabled Persons in cooperation with the Zusman Center for Accessible Tourism for People with Disabilities (Telem): accessible information for blind persons
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| ...In their own words |  | | |
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