Since October 7th, hundreds of thousands of Israelis have been evacuated or have left their homes for hotels or alternative housing. According to estimates, about 7% of them are people with disabilities who need their new living spaces to be readapted to their unique needs.
To address this, we created the “Smart Homes” program – making temporary living environments accessible for people with disabilities who were evacuated from their homes. This is a new program that emerged from the “Smart Homes” model and emphasizes making adaptations with the help of various aids and customized accessibility solutions. For example, handrails to assist with mobility at home, elevations, noise reduction devices, and self-care equipment. The goal is to enable independence and, most importantly, security for people with disabilities in their new location.
“Every person can live in the community, and we as a society need to provide them with full support for this,” says Orly Tzabar, the program manager. “The war has disrupted the daily routines of many people, including thousands of people with disabilities. Some of these people found themselves on October 7th, without prior preparation, in a new place outside their homes and without adequate accessibility. Some of the equipment that allowed them independence in their homes didn’t move with them, and some wasn’t relevant to the new place. Our assessment is that many people currently need various means to help them regain their independence and ease their daily functioning.”
Project Details and Implementation
The project partners – JDC, Ministry of Welfare, Ministry of Health, Beit Issie Shapiro, and Atvisor, supported by the Ted Arison Family Foundation – provide people with disabilities who were evacuated from their homes with personal adaptation aids that don’t require installation or structural changes. The project also offers professional assistance and guidance in the processes of borrowing, purchasing, and using equipment in the following areas: bathing and self-care, sleep, home independence, security and safety, and daily schedule management.
Efrat Stern, CEO of JDC-Israel Unlimited, explained the essence of the project. “One of the most vulnerable populations in the ‘Swords of Iron’ war is people with disabilities whose voices have disappeared and been silenced,” says Stern. “Some of them were uprooted from their homes during the fighting days and are struggling to find an accessible and adapted place in their new and temporary residence. The ‘Adapted Homes’ program, initiated by JDC together with its partners, places an important emphasis on promoting independent living, among other things by adapting the living environment to the individual – so that they can realize their natural right to participate in the community and society. The adaptation of the environment is done by providing a comprehensive package including guidance in the process of purchasing, borrowing, installing, and implementing independence-promoting technologies and assistance in making adjustments and accessibility in alternative housing. This enables greater independence and a sense of security.”
The program is intended for people with disabilities recognized by the Disabilities Administration in the Ministry of Welfare and/or the Rehabilitation and Mobility Department in the Ministry of Health.
To register for the service, click here (Hebrew form)
The full article was published in Hebrew on the Shavim website. For the full article, click here
