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| Band performs a celebratory concert following the Knesset vote |
While the world of disability rights is shouting its jubilation from the rooftops, ADI (the organization headed by Doron Almog that operates large-scale institutions for housing children with disabilities) has made no mention, at least none that I can find so far of the passage of the historic new law ["Progress on one front - regress on another"] expanding the basic human rights in Israel of people with disabilities.
And that shouldn't surprise us.
The law (I am working on an analysis in English) is expected to enable independent, autonomous life for every person with disabilities at every level of functioning. It will require that the services will be provided in accordance with the Israeli Law for Equal Rights to People with Disabilities 1998 and the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2006.
The new law expressly mandates that the Minister of Welfare prepare a program to reduce institutionalization and to report to the Knesset annually about its execution. .
Most of the additional funding, reported to be totaling some 2 billion shekels, will be channeled to the community including services supportive of independent, autonomous living.
Many crucial details regarding implementation of the law have yet to be released by the Ministry of Welfare. Nevertheless, this is clearly a watershed moment in the fight for equal rights for people with disabilities.
To ignore it, as ADI has done so studiously, speaks volumes about the priorities and values of its founding director and soon-to-be head of the Jewish Agency, Almog.
And because we resisted pressure from our child's school and from social workers to place our Haya in ADI Negev, here she is in the pool this week. We take her every week so that I can do hydrotherapy with her. Haya loves it.
Please note: Haya now lifts her head while floating. What this signifies to us might not be the same as what others see in it. We are thrilled.
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