Published in Access Israel on 5/21/2011. Read original article here
On Tuesday, January 31, 2012, the project – “a locality accessible to all” for leading youth in Shoham (which includes the Youth Council and the Scouts) began. On Friday, May 18, a happening was held to mark the end of the educational program for accessibility and acceptance of differences in the city of Shoham
21/05/2012 – Yuval Wagner, Michal Rimon, Gil Livneh and Shai Avrahami at the event
The project is a flagship program of the Israel Accessibility Association in collaboration with the Ruderman Foundation and led by Shira and Jay Ruderman who work hard to increase awareness and promote these valuable issues in Israeli society and have been collaborating with the association for two years on various educational projects.
After the youth went through a seminar on accessibility (which included active lectures, a meeting with instructors with disabilities and experiential experience at different stations) they were divided into groups and selected accessible projects, which they worked on in the last two months.
On Friday, December 18, an accessibility happening was held open to the general public, in the plaza of the House of Culture in Shoham.
The happening included accessibility stations, where attendees could experimentally experiment with the question “What does it mean to be disabled?” (Headphone party that simulates the sound of a deaf person, accessible games, blind tastings of ice cream, obstacle course on wheelchairs, walking on a blind – walking route with a walking stick, accessible graffiti, sign language tattoos and more) At each station, passers-by were introduced to a guide In front of them is his coping, his successes, the significance of the disability and more.
At the end of the happening, the audience gathered in the hall of the House of Culture in Shoham – where a solemn ceremony was held to summarize the project and present the accessible projects of the youth.
The ceremony was opened by the head of the council, Mr. Gil Livneh : This is what the Israel Accessibility Association does, the gap between the perceived and what we understand and the ability of people with disabilities … We have more mechanization for such initiatives, to maintain accessibility sensitivity and acceptance … ”
Yuval Wagner, chairman of the Israel Accessibility Association : “What fun it is to be here among so many young people … At the age of 22, I fulfilled a dream and the dream was to be a pilot in the Air Force. Shortly after I fulfilled the dream and flew into the sky … unfortunately I was involved in a plane crash and due to a technical malfunction I was injured … I was very lucky to stay alive. You have to go out and understand that living is a big thing in life. The idea of the Israel Accessibility Association is to allow people who have been in road accidents, work accidents, accidents in the army, old people and more .. Everyone who lives in Israel and around the world deserves to live – go to the sea, to the community center. And it does not matter if you are in a wheelchair, an athlete, blind, smart, etc … For every trait, disability is a difficult tier, but if we are connected to accessibility and bypass the difficulties then we will all live independently, equally and rightly. We are very proud of you – you have made a way of changing the attitude towards people with disabilities. Receive my appreciation and thanks, you are our ambassadors … ”
Later, representatives from each group took the stage and presented the projects.
Among the projects: mapping lowering sidewalks in the locality and transferring the findings to the municipality and further treatment in front of it, mapping accessible businesses in the locality, volunteering at an employment center for people with special needs, a sign language song performed by the Scouts’ campers, a video to promote accessibility, “Flash Mob” – sudden dance Performed in the shopping center and combined people with disabilities, an extreme project – in which a group of boys went on a sports trip with Olympic athletes with disabilities (wall climbing, riding a hand bike and a tandem bike) and more.
The youth were thrilled with every word and deed, the huge change and development made during two months of work was noticeable.
Many thanks to all the partners: Azriel Blumenthal, Shai Avrahami (CEO of the Shoham Council), Maya Bitton (Scout Coordinator), Moran Doron (Director Five), Guy Yaakovovich, Dikla Yedidi (Culture and Volunteer Coordinator of the Five Youth Unit), Gabi Adar (CEO of Five), Ofira Bitton (Director of the Education and Community Division) and Ofer Shemer (Administrative Manager of Five).
And of course a huge thank you to the youth (the Scouts and the Youth Council) who promoted accessibility in their locality and became Israel’s ambassadors of accessibility, straighten up!
Accessibility Flash Mob organized by the Youth Council
Remote Happening with Banner The trainees at a blindness experiment station led by Yirmi Hla
Apprenticeship at a happening at an obstacle course station in a wheelchair, led by Ilana Leshem Shoham campers at an accessible graffiti / painting station
A trainee experiences a blind tasting ice cream tasting station A trainee tries to hold two plastic balls with movement-limiting gloves
Sami Seroa, from the Voice of Signs, at an introduction to the world of deafness and sign language Two apprentices, one experiencing deafness, walk together in a happening
