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Division for Disabilities and Rehabilitation and Israel Unlimited
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| JDC-Israel
Division for Disabilities and Rehabilitation & Israel Unlimited
Development of Services for People with Disabilities in Israel |
| Background
Since its establishment in 1914, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (AJJDC) has been working for the advancement of people with disabilities in Israel. Through the years, the focus of the Division for Disabilities, has adapted to the changing conditions and needs of Israeli society; 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 the needs of the Israelis with disabilities (age 21-65), 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. JDC-Israel partners with national and municipal entities, the voluntary sector and academia to develop and implement solutions that meet the specific needs. Israel Unlimited is such a partnership.
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, was established in 2009, with core funding of 24 million NIS over four years.
 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 the needs of people with disabilities at high risk; and will develop health prevention and health promotion programstailored to various types of disabilities.
The partners are: the Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Services, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Finance, the National Insurance Institute, JDC-Israel and the Ruderman Family Foundation.
To contact the Division for Disabilities and Rehabilitation and Israel Unlimited:
By phone +972 02-655-7200 Fax +972 02-567-0702
Email address Disabilities@jdc.org.il |
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| News
Volunteerism by People with Disabilities -
Research Findings
 One-fourth of the members of the Supportive Community for People with Disabilities expressed their interest in volunteering. There is even greater interest among people with disabilities to volunteer on behalf of people with disabilities or within the broader community. The average number of hours spent on volunteer activities ranged from 10 hours a month (for volunteers within the Supportive Community) to 30 hours a month (for volunteers within the broader community). The average volunteer period is three years. These findings form a study conducted by Dr. Avi Gripel and Sarit Katash (2011) for Israel Unlimited, will be presented at a conference on 21.11.11 organized by Yad Sarah and JDC Israel on volunteerism among people with Disabilities.
There are currently 23 Supportive Communities for People with Disabilities across Israel, with 1,700 members. Among them, 180 members volunteer either within the Supportive Community and/or in the broader community. One of the goals of the program is to develop community and social frameworks that provide the person with a disability the opportunity to be involved and make a difference in the community and in Israeli society.
The study indicates that volunteerism by people with disabilities contributes to their self-worth, sense of pride and satisfaction and provides them with a feeling of belonging to the community and assisting others. Ninety-two percent (92%) of the interviewees noted that volunteerism contributes to making new social connections. Over one-third of the members reported difficulties in carrying out volunteer activities within and without the supportive community, which include: physical difficulties, transportation barriers, accessibility barriers, difficulty in understanding what was expected of them.
Among those interested in volunteering, the following would help facilitate their volunteerism: training, mentoring, personal guidance on how to be a volunteer, covering expenses, including travel, related to the volunteer activity.
In the Picture: Moshe, Heftzi and Moti, active members of the Center for Independent Living Be'er Sheva volunteering within the community
Inauguration of the "Space for Independent Living in the Upper Galilee", 18 October 2011
 An inaugural ceremony was held for the Space for Independent Living in the Upper Galilee in the Agamon Hula during the Sukkot holiday. The "Space", a program of Israel Unlimited and Access Israel, is the fifth of six planned Centers for Independent Living (CIL) in Israel. The CILs promote independence alongside participation in family and community activities for people with disabilities. Each CIL serves 1,000 people a year through peer counseling, training in independent living skills, advising on assistive devices and promoting accessibility and raising awareness to disability issues in the community. The CILs are being established with the support of the JDC Israel, the Government of Israel, the Ruderman Family Foundation in cooperation with local disable persons organizations and local authorities. The day, which included an "accessibility happening" and an inaugural ceremony, was organized in cooperation with the Agamon Hahula, Jewish National Fund and the Israel Government Tourism Corporation. The 5,000 visitors to the site were offered experiential workshops, activities and games which provided them with an experience of the lives of people with disabilities, opening their hearts and minds to the other.
During the event, which was accompanied by the excitement due to the release of Gilad Schalit on that day, participants wrote accessible graffiti welcoming Gilad home while wearing gloves that limit hand movement, learned to greet Gilad in sign language and were treated to the performance of singer Moran Mazoz, who herself has a visual disability, in honor of the event and Gilad's return.Photo: Representatives of the Space for Independent Living in the Upper Galilee partner organizations "signing" congratulations on the inauguration of the Space.
Launching of "Masira Fund" for People with Special Needs in the Arab Society in Israel
At the 2011 Arab Business Conference held in Nazareth on 11 May, a group of businessmen led by Dr. Basel Ghattas launched the Masira Fund to raise funds from within the Arab society to ensure the continuity of the Masira program, which has been implemented through the JDC-Israel Division for Disabilities and Rehabilitation for the last five years. Julia Zohar, a businesswomen, said that she was surprised to learn from Soad Diab about the situation of people with disabilities in the Arab society and called upon her colleagues to join in this initiative.
Many people came to the "Masira" booth to receive information and materials and to talk to the disabled activists in the program, among them Mr. Munib Al Masry, who purposely made his way through the crowd. Speaking with Samer Abu Karshen, coordinator of the Forum of Arab Women with Disabilities in Al-Tafula, he noted that she did not look at him directly and asked her why, and she answered "because I am blind", he responded "you are also pretty" and they continued the conversation.
The Masira Fund seeks to attract business people, public figures, artists and representatives of the media. Acting alongside the Fund will be the Masira Center, a coalition of Disabled Persons Organizations, which will continue activities such as the work with religious leaders. JDC will continue to support the new initiative until the Amuta is self-sufficient.
Among the organizations active in the Masira Program is the Almanal Association for Disabled People in Sakhnin which received the Prize for Quality and Excellence in the Galilee (named for Danny Rosolio) the next day.
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Publications for People with Disabilities
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