Special in Uniform

I am now representing this organization and raising money for it if you are interested in getting in touch

Family trip to Israel for people with disabilities

http://rii.ramah.org.il/tikvah-family-trip/

December 20-29, 2016 (in Israel)

2016 Itinerary | Registration

Families with children with disabilities are invited to join Ramah Israel and the National Ramah Tikvah Network for the Tikvah Family Israel Trip, led by Howard Blas, Director of National Ramah Tikvah Network. No prior Ramah affiliation needed! Explore Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Masada, the Dead Sea, and much more.

Ramah Tikvah families together in New York, September 2013

Price:

$3,271 per person in a single room

$2,618 per person in a double room

$2,577 per person in a triple room*

$2,464 per person in a family of three**

$2,368 per person in a family of four***

$2,459 per person in a family of five****

$2,388 per person in a family of six*****

* based on three adults in one triple room.

** based on two adults and one child in one triple room.

*** based on two adults and two children in two double rooms or in one suite.

**** based on two adults and three children in 2 rooms (1 triple room and 1 double room) or a two-bedroom suite.

***** based on two adults and four children in 2 rooms (2 triple rooms) or a two-bedroom suite.

This price includes: nine nights accommodation at hotels/guesthouses (including breakfast), thirteen group meals throughout the trip (including full board on Shabbat), transportation on group bus, entrance fees to sites, Ramah tour educator, Ramah family educator, complimentary sourcebook and map.

Flight info: There will be no group flight. Please reserve a flight that will land in Tel Aviv in time for you to meet the group in Jerusalem at 9:00 am on Tuesday, December 20, 2016. Your return flight should depart from Tel Aviv no earlier than 11:00 pm on Thursday, December 29, 2016.

To join us: Please register here and select “Tikvah Family Israel Trip” from the list of programs on the participant information page.

Questions? Please contact:

Howard Blas – Director, National Ramah Tikvah Network

Adin Rodman – Trip Coordinator, Ramah Israel Institute

Ramah Tikvah Israel Trip participants at Kibbutz Tzuba, December 2015

Ramah Tikvah Israel Trip participants at the Western Wall, December 2013

Israel innovations for disabled get google grant

http://www.israel21c.org/israeli-innovations-for-the-disabled-get-google-grants/

Two Israeli nonprofits are among 30 international winners of Impact Challenge grants from Google.org to promote technological innovations that will make the world more accessible for people with disabilities.

Beit Issie Shapiro in Ra’anana received two Impact Challenge grants.

It received $1,000,000 toward the joint development with Sesame Enableof a free solution that will allow people with limited mobility to operate smartphones with head movements. The beta product is now being distributed to individuals in Israel to test and gauge demand before a global rollout.

Beit Issie Shapiro also received $700,000 to develop Makeathon-in-a-box in conjunction with Tikkun Olam Makers (TOM), a project of the Tel Aviv-based Reut Group.

Makeathon-in-a-box is a template for community make-a-thons around the world that bring makers and people with disabilities together to build prototypes of new solutions for “orphan” accessibility challenges.

Prototypes that come from the make-a-thons will be open source, and featured solutions will be available for purchase on TOM’s website.

National health-support organization Ezer Mizion of Bnei Brak won a $400,000 grant from Google.org for its project with Israeli startupClick2speak to develop a keyboard controlled by eye tracking for people with limited mobility and high cognitive function.

In the United States alone, 7.5 million people have trouble using their voices, and many of them also have impaired motor skills, making effective communication a daily struggle. Click2Speak CTO Gal Sont knows this only too well, as he was diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) in 2009.

Using eye movements, Sont programmed a user-friendly, affordable and multilingual on-screen virtual keyboard controlled by eye tracking and an eye-operated communication system. The Ezer Mizion Augmentative and Alternative Communication Loan Center provides eligible clients with the beta version.

The Impact Challenge grant will allow Ezer Mizion and Click2Speak to pilot the product, gather user feedback and improve the core technology.

Disabled Israel defense Force volunteer honored

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/213042#.V019fPl97IU

Even though Liran Look was automatically eligible for an exemption from mandatory military service due to his disability, he volunteered to serve in the IDF. During a ceremony on Monday, Look received a special award for excellence in recognition of his contributions.

When all of his friends received their orders to enlist, he decided that in spite of the difficulties, he wanted to enlist as well, explained Look, highlighting his devotion to the IDF and the Jewish state.

“The desire to serve has been with me since childhood. Unfortunately, when I first approached an officer in the enlistment office, I was immediately told that my condition would prevent me from serving.”

Liran eventually heard about the JNF’s “Special in Uniform” program, and contacted Lt. Col. Ariel Almog, the head of the program, who spoke with him about opportunities to enlist as a volunteer.

Special in Uniform is a unique program, now operated in partnership with the Jewish National Fund (JNF) to integrate young people with autism and other disabilities into the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and, in turn, into Israeli society. Its core belief is that everyone has a place in Israeli society, and has the right to reach his or her full potential. Special in Uniform focuses on the unique talents of each individual participant to help them find a job within the IDF that is a perfect fit for their skills and helping keep Israel safe and secure.

Liran eventually enlisted through the Special in Uniform program, and is now stationed with an emergency warehouse unit in the Home Front Command. His commanders have noted his dedication to his duties and the hard work he puts in every day to ensure that his unit will be ready when called upon.

In honor of the 68th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel, Liran received special awards of excellence from Maj. Gen. Yoel Strick of Israel’s Home Front Command (HFC).

The Special in Uniform program is sponsored in party by the Israeli government, though most of the funding comes from the JNF and private donations.

Watch: Bringing 'peace of mind' to special needs kids via @ArutzSheva_En

Watch: Bringing 'peace of mind' to special needs kids via @ArutzSheva_En

In time for Independence Day on Thursday, SHALVA Founder and Chairman Kalman Samuels spoke to Arutz Sheva about his unique organization for special needs children which is opening a new center in Jerusalem.

Samuels described the origins of SHALVA, the Association for Mentally and Physically Challenged Children in Israel, and the important work it does to provide high quality care and "peace of mind" for disabled children.

The organization has played an important role in its twenty-five years of award-winning program development.

Israeli autism unit in army helps individuals develop

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4768429,00.html

When I posted a simmilar article this was the point that stood out to me that disabled people are being helped to develop through this program.  That will save so many people time and money helping these people out

Pvt. E never thought he'd join the army. As someone on the autism spectrum, he struggled with certain social situations and would get easily distracted. Now, at 19, he is serving in a sensitive intelligence unit in the Israeli military, working in software quality assurance and defying what he and many of those around him thought he could accomplish.

Israel has for decades exempted people on the spectrum from joining the military, a compulsory duty for most Israeli Jews. But in recent years it is increasingly enlisting them, harnessing their special capabilities for certain meticulous tasks and including them in an Israeli rite of passage that can boost their independence and open professional doors.

"It gives me a chance. It gives me education, on-the-job education," said Pvt. E, whose name could not be published and whose face could not be photographed because he serves in a classified intelligence unit. "It's a beginning. It's a very solid beginning."

The IDF has developed into a more inclusive military. (Archive photo: IDF Spokesperson)

Pvt. E. is part of a program called Roim Rachok, or "seeing into the distance," which provides training and assistance to Israelis on the autism spectrum who wish to enlist in the military. The program's founders saw the inclusion of people on the spectrum as a way to help usher them into a self-sufficient life once they are discharged.

Until recently, people on the spectrum were largely sidelined from the military, allowed to volunteer but without a proper framework to ease them into the challenges of military life. Roim Rachok, and at least one other program that has sprouted up, is doing just that.

The Israeli military serves as a great equalizer where youth from all walks intersect and those who do not enlist can find themselves at a handicap once they hit the job market. One's military career can often be a key determinant for employers and soldiers who served in intelligence units often land coveted jobs in Israel's booming tech sector.

People on the spectrum are dealt another challenge once they reach 21, the age when state-funded programs and assistance are mostly cut off, leaving them to fend for themselves or depend on their parents for support. Roim Rachok hopes to provide its graduates with a softer landing through inclusion in the military.

"Many sit at their parents' home and don't do anything. That is the painful reality," said Tal Vardi, a retired security official who is co-founder of the program. "This program gives every adult on the spectrum the opportunity to realize his full potential. And the moment we give them opportunity it puts them and us as a society in a different place."

Dozens of people on the spectrum have participated in the program since 2013. They undergo a three-month training session at the Ono Academic College outside Tel Aviv that tests their skills and determines whether they could handle the military's rigid nature. They then serve in a civilian capacity in a military unit for another three months before they officially enlist.

The program seizes on the participants' perceptive capabilities and their knack for precision or repetition and places them in the military's most elite and sensitive intelligence units, where they pour over satellite imagery or, like Pvt. E., serve in quality assurance roles, verifying that the software the military develops is flawless. The program is expanding to address people with skills other than heightened perception, training soldiers for roles in combat support as well.

Some autistic soldiers serve in highly sensitive IDF intelligence units. (Archive photo: IDF Spokesperson)

Once in the army, the soldiers are accompanied by an occupational therapist and a psychologist, lending support both to the people on the spectrum and their commanders and colleagues who may need guidance in their relationship with the soldiers.

Unlike typical recruits, who serve close to three years, these soldiers have a basic, voluntary, service of one year. But they are allowed to extend their service and volunteer for an additional two years if they choose. Roim Rachok also provides guidance once they leave the military.

Autism is a developmental disorder that can involve language and social impairments, affecting people to varying degrees. Many of the participants in Roim Rachom are considered "high functioning," meaning they have above-average intelligence but may have difficulties with social interaction and communication.

Not all soldiers on the spectrum qualify for the program and of those who do, not all have gone on to serve in the military, Vardi said. He said that much of the soldiers' success depends on how tolerant and accepting the people they work with can be, which is why support staff are deployed to help.

"Often the operational difficulty brings with it some sort of emotional difficulty," said Capt. Y., who commands six soldiers who are on the spectrum. "There may be a soldier who really struggles with the work and he isn't succeeding and you need to know how to deal with it."

In the small office in downtown Tel Aviv where Pvt. E. and his fellow soldiers are based, they toil away on computers beneath pulled blinds, shielding their classified work from prying eyes outside. A corkboard spelling out the day's to-do list hangs on the wall beside a whiteboard, where the soldiers draw up mathematical equations during their spare time.

"It's revolutionary," said Pvt. Y., a soldier who also works in quality assurance, of his military service. "It proves that even though others say we cannot, we can."

Israels first college for Autistic and learning disabled students

http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-to-open-its-first-college-for-autistic-students/

Israel’s first college aimed specifically at students with autism, Asperger’s syndrome and complex learning disabilities is set to open in March 2016.

According to the NRG news website, the BE Academic College will be a collaboration between Beit Ekstein, an organization that provides services to people with a variety of learning and developmental disabilities, and the Open University, a distance-learning institution with branches throughout the country.

“Out of close familiarity with the world of graduates with learning disabilities comes the establishment of the BE Academic College, whose goal it will be to make academic learning possible by building a supportive and adapted curriculum,” Beit Ekstein said in a statement announcing the institution’s upcoming opening.

The new institution will be housed at Beit Ekstein’s campus in Givatayim, a suburb of Tel Aviv. It will offer three interdisciplinary tracks meant to prepare its target population for the workforce. The programs announced by the academy are psychology and education, economics and computer science, and psychology and communications.

The Open University of Israel’s main campus in Raanana. (Ingsoc/Creative Commons)

One of the features of the new college will be the elimination of admissions requirements, giving those with learning and developmental disabilities the chance to begin studying for a degree without preconditions.

In addition to offering students specialized instruction in their fields of study, the programs will also provide career workshops and guidance in planning for the outside world. In addition, students will get support for their emotional and social needs.

Upon completion of the four-year programs, students will receive a degree from the Open University, an officially accredited institution by the Israel Council for Higher Education.

On its website, Beit Ekstein describes itself as a pioneer in the concept of inclusion in Israel of people with the following disabilities: mental retardation, minimal brain damage, learning disabilities, autism and Asperger’s syndrome. The organization provides these populations with assistance in housing, employment and educational services.

The organization runs a number of elementary and high schools around the country, including two in Givatayim.

According to the Israeli Society for Autistic Children, one in 100 Israeli babies are diagnosed with autism every year. There have been a number of recent Israeli initiatives related to autism and learning disabilities.

The IDF has begun providing opportunities for autistic soldiers in itsRoim Rachok (“Seeing Far”) program, drafting them into intelligence units where they decipher aerial reconnaissance photos to provide information to combat soldiers ahead of missions.

Roim Rachok helps people with autism integrate into the IDF and enables them to serve in key positions. (Courtesy of IDF)

Other tracks train candidates to be army electricians, who deal with devices like night vision goggles, or optics technicians, who work with binoculars.

In August, the Middle East’s first autism research center was established in Jerusalem by Hebrew University and Hadassah Medical Center.

The Autism Center is a collaborative and interdisciplinary effort bridging several faculties within both institutions, anchored in the Hebrew University’s Faculty of Medicine. The center brings together cutting-edge research, clinical services, state of the art training, and education for professionals and parents in the community.

David Shamah and Ben Sales contributed to this report.

Amazing autistic man gets married (video)

Young Adults with Disabilities to Study Jobs in Dentistry via @ArutzSheva_En

Young Adults with Disabilities to Study Jobs in Dentistry
via @ArutzSheva_En

AKIM Israel – in collaboration with The Hebrew University Hadassah School of Dental Medicine, and supported by Alpha Omega Foundation US, as well as by Henry Schein Cares – have established a program to train young adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities in auxiliary jobs in the dental profession.

During two years Supported Employment Program at Hadassah School of Dental Medicine in Jerusalem, selected persons with developmental and intellectual disabilities will study professional dental skills, in small groups. They will study theory, combined with simulations of real situations, followed by three months of practical experience in a proper workplace. Following the completion of the program – which includes Preserve teeth treatments to every participant – the alumni will be placed in the dental job market. The program is another component of AKIM Israel’s Inclusion vision which promotes the integration of people with developmental and intellectual disabilities in the community.

AKIM was founded in 1951 by a group of parents to facilitate the needs of their intellectually and developmentally disabled kids in Israel. Since then, AKIM developed into the leading advocate, as well as the largest and most comprehensive provider of programs and services for the developmentally and intellectually disabled population – regardless of their faith, ethnic background or gender – serving 34,500 children, teenagers, adults, and senior citizens, throughout Israel.

AKIM has built and operates 15 Group Homes in Israel providing supervised accommodation for 500 persons, 3 Group Homes are dedicated for the senior population with severe disabilities. In addition, AKIM owns and maintains 33 apartments (community-based housing) accommodating 4-6 residents each, living independently, with some supervision and support. AKIM operates 4 Daycare Centers serving 150 adults, suffering from severe cognitive disabilities.

Empowerment

AKIM Israel offers three types of employment frames, in meaningful work places and in an inclusive setting, providing employment and several work transition programs to 1,000 persons with minor disabilities. ‘Equal in Uniform’ - a unique collaboration with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), which enables intellectually disabled young citizens to serve in the IDF - is another important employment opportunity, offered by AKIM.

Two soldiers from AKIM Israel’s Equal in Uniform project, hosted by former President Shimon Peres at the Presidential Palace, Jerusalem, during 2013 AKIM National Day AKIM

35 afternoon leisure Clubs offering a variety of afternoon activities for approximately 1,200 intellectually disabled of all ages are being operated, daily, by AKIM. Every year, AKIM offers an annual vacation for 1,000 developmentally and intellectually disabled employees, as well as for hundreds of people with severe cognitive disabilities. 200 children enjoy, every year, AKIM’s Summer Camps.

Inclusion

The Public and Community Advocacy department coordinates the activities of 66 branches (staffed with volunteers) throughout Israel, promoting public awareness, self-advocacy and actively supports the full inclusion and participation in the community.

Advocacy

The Legal Advocacy department leads the struggle for realizing and utilizing equal legal rights. AKIM operates 24/7/365 ”Parents for Parents” support line, which provides ongoing emotional support and vital information to families with intellectually and developmentally disabled children and adults. And AKIM is the Guardian for 1,500 Intellectually Disabled people, who have been abandoned, orphaned, or taken out of their parent’s custody.

Become a partner and join us:

Friends of AKIM USA
633 Third Avenue, 21st Floor
New York, NY 10017
Phone: 212-339-6991

Email: info@akimusa.org
www.akimusa.org
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