Current Measures
$2,320
average income
of Israelis with disabilities. 25% less than that of Israelis without disabilities ($3,094).
10,000
people live in institutions
compared to 20,000 in the United States (population of 8 m. compared to 320).
18%
of Israelis with disabilities feel lonely
compared to 3% in the general population.
The Challenge
There is a wide gap in opportunities for full participation in society and independent living between people with and without disabilities in Israel. This causes health, financial, social, and emotional damage to people with disabilities and their families, hurts labor productivity, and impairs social cohesion – all of which harm the economy.
Worth Noting
80% of people with disabilities in Israel were not born with a disability; and 47% of Israelis with disabilities have more than one disability.
Actions
From Disability to Ability: A Trend for the Future
Goals: Improving the chances of young people with disabilities to integrate into the labor market by imparting skills for the new world of work and professional training from academic institutions. The Need: Each year, about 3,500 young people with disabilities complete their studies without a high school diploma or professional certification and find it difficult […]
Higher Education for Arabs with Disabilities
Goals: To make college more accessible to Arab students with disabilities The Need: According to a report by the Finance Ministry, only 5.6% of Israeli Arabs with disabilities have an academic degree, compared with 19.4% among Jews with disabilities. Arabs with disabilities find it harder to integrate into higher education due to barriers such as […]
LocalLink
Goals: To establish a young leadership team of people with and without disabilities who want to serve the public and change attitudes in their communities The Need: Civil service is a leadership and career goal for many young people with disabilities. Some 3,320 employees with disabilities are employed in the public sector, constituting 4.2% of […]
Hotline for People with Disabilities
Goals: Moked Amitim (Hotline for Friends) is a national call center to help people with disabilities know their rights and access social services online. It is part of Joint-Israel Unlimited’s Centers for Independent Living (CIL) program, which offers community-based assistance to people from all religions and backgrounds, and with all types of disabilities, including physical, […]
Affordable Housing
Goals: To create a model for providing affordable housing to people with disabilities that supports long-term independent living in the community. To pilot the model by purchasing 25 apartments for people with disabilities who are not eligible for public housing. The Need: People with disabilities struggle to find long-term housing solutions. Part of the problem […]
Supportive Housing
Goals: To help people with disabilities move from family or supervised homes to living independently in the community. To develop support services for people with disabilities who already live independently in the community but who require professional assistance and guidance. The Need: While a vast majority of people with disabilities in Israel live within the […]
Personal Budgets
Goals: To move Israel’s model for social service provision for people with disabilities from one that is based on the “main” type of disability to one that is person-centered and tailored to each individual’s unique set of needs To save costs in social services through this model by ensuring that services provided match needs The […]
Success Stories
The personal story and success of every program participant is a whole world in itself. We invite you to get to know the people behind the numbers.
