The Movement for Reform Judaism

Israel has come second to last among developed states for equal treatment of its disabled citizens, according to a survey published earlier this month. Israeli people with disabilities earn about 34 per cent less than the national average - a disparity second only to South Korea. In 16 of the 17 other developed states polled, disabled persons' salaries were only 15 per cent less than their national average wage.

The survey's findings, conducted by the Commission for Equal Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Cerpd), were released on the International Day of Disabled Persons – December 3.

“These findings are very serious because they have far-reaching effects on the lives of not just disabled persons and their families, but on Israeli society as a whole,” said Dina Feldman, a legal aide for Cerpd. “We must bear in mind that one-quarter of the Israeli population is disabled.”

The findings about work conditions for the diasbled come in stark contrast to the way Israel rehabilitates them. Israel is at the forefront of rehabilitation, with several hospitals spearheading treatment for the disabled.

The Ministry of Education, too, has set up several programmes to help integrate the disabled into school life. The programmes are for abled children, too.

There are also organisations which help the disabled. One such is Etgarim. Meirav Kallush, the Movement for Reform Judaism's Shlicha, told Gesher Chai that her "sister, Yiphat, volunteers with the Etgarim women's group. Once a month, a group of disabled and abled women meet to spend a weekend together, they go hiking around Israel, abseiling, rafting and more. Yiphat talks a lot about the friendships created by the the joint challenges that overcome the physical differences and allow open and sincere discussion about everything in life."

Cerpd's figures put the number of disabled people in Israel at 1.36 million, of whom 40 per cent were seriously disabled, a number it said was rising faster than the natural population growth.

The commission noted that the number of people complaining of chronic illnesses and disabilities in Israel was much higher than that in most Western nations.

Cerpd said that the marked differences in income between the disabled and abled was caused by limited welfare funds and the lack of education among disabled persons.

For instance, half of the disabled over the age of 20, a group numbering about 200,000 people, did not graduate from high school.

In addition, only 46 per cent of disabled persons were employed in 2006, a figure that has risen by only 6 per cent since 2002.

“The government of Israel is conducting a deliberate policy aimed at maintaining poverty among disabled persons,” claimed Yoav Kreem, an advocate of rights for the disabled.  

International Day of Disabled Persons, on December 3, was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1992. It aims to promote understanding about disabilities and to encourage the integration of disabled persons into all aspects of political, social, economic and cultural life. This year’s theme, “E-Accessibility,” stresses the importance of modern technology in facilitating such integration.

For more information on Etgarim, click here

For useful Israel- and Reform-related links, click here

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