The Goodbye and the Return to the USA

Our last sunset in Israel

The view from our balcony the morning we left for the airport

Hey Everyone!

Laura and I have been back in the United States for one week now, and it feels so strange to be so far away from the people we met during our time in Israel. We are both very happy to see our families and friends, but there is definitely a sense of longing to spend time with the amazing people we met during our short 6 weeks in Israel.

By visiting as many places as we could where people with disabilities work and live, I believe that I was able to see how people with disabilities in a completely different society go about happy and meaningful lives. The framework of the laws and the opportunities for people with disabilities are not identical to the United States. By taking a 6-week peek into the culture of disability laws and disability services, I feel more appreciative of the power of community. Israel has a strong sense of community--I believe this is a driving force for the disability rights movement for Israeli citizens. By giving individuals as much self-advocacy as possible, the person's needs are more likely to be met.

When Laura and I attended the United Nations on Wednesday to overhear discussions on the rights of people with disabilities, it seemed as if self-advocacy is a huge goal. I remember various speakers from multiple countries mentioning how people with disabilities need to be given the resources to express what they want. Instead of having the government or other authority figures decide what is best for a person with a disability, every effort should be made to give that person the right to make his/her own decisions.

I also recognize that it will take me a long time to fully appreciate all of the experiences I had while in Israel. As time passes, I will learn more and more about people with disabilities in the United States and I will be able to reference my past experiences in Israel. I am so excited that the learning and synthesizing process does not end here!

Before I sign out of this blog for the last time, I would like to leave everyone with a video that the Commission for Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities showed at the United Nations. It shows that when a group of people come together to fight for what is fair, the possibilities are inspiring.

CLICK HERE TO OPEN THE VIDEO IN YOUTUBE (English subtitles)

Elwyn Week Three

Elwyn Week Three

This week began with two trips, both of which have been some of my favorite experiences at Elwyn. On Sunday we visited Ashkelon, a city that is just 6 miles from the Gaza Strip, the territory in which much conflict takes place. While the services in Ashkelon were similar to many occupational training centers and sheltered workshops that Elwyn operates elsewhere in Israel, the threat of war creates a unique issue for the Elwyn center in Ashkelon.

From the sound of a warning alarm, residents of Ashkelon only have 40 seconds to seek refuge in a bomb shelter. This means that at Elwyn, staff must maintain order and lead the dozens of people with disabilities into a relatively small shelter room in the building in under a minute. Moreover, even more challenging is the fact that during prolonged violence the facility may have to close for an extended period. For example, during last November’s unrest, the frequent dropping of bombs on Ashkelon required that the facility be closed for about a week. This creates a unique challenge for the individuals as well as their families, residential staff, or caregivers. Additionally, this also leads to an interruption in services for people with disabilities.

 

The Bomb Shelter in Elwyn Ashkelon

One thing this experience has made me realize is that there is no correct answer for handling services for people with disabilities. Whether it is an individual’s personal preferences, religion, abilities, family, or geographical location, each of these components creates a unique circumstance that must be considered when determining where an individual would best be placed.

On Monday we had the opportunity to meet with various HR executives and supervisors in three large organizations that employ people with disabilities from Elwyn in supported employment. We spoke with representatives from BDO (a leading Israeli financial and consulting firm), Aroma Espresso Bar (one of the largest coffee shop chains in Israel), and Dan Hotel (a renowned luxury hotel chain). While our conversations varied at each site, there were a few similarities between all three that truly struck me.

In each of these companies, the managers were extremely passionate about the importance of hiring people with disabilities. They made it a priority to support their employees in creating a productive and comfortable workplace, happily implementing any necessary accommodations. In cases where other executives within the corporation were hesitant to hire people with disabilities (or hire more), the supervisors acted as an advocate, and have continued to build a relationship with Elwyn and work to find more job placements. Moreover, the individuals were happy in their work environment, developing meaningful relationships with their co-workers and, in many cases, interacting with customers.  These situations served as perfect examples of what an ideal supported employment placement should be, and I wish that others could have heard the positive words that the employees and management shared with us.

Elwyn Week Three

Elwyn Week Three

This week began with two trips, both of which have been some of my favorite experiences at Elwyn. On Sunday we visited Ashkelon, a city that is just 6 miles from the Gaza Strip, the territory in which much conflict takes place. While the services in Ashkelon were similar to many occupational training centers and sheltered workshops that Elwyn operates elsewhere in Israel, the threat of war creates a unique issue for the Elwyn center in Ashkelon.

From the sound of a warning alarm, residents of Ashkelon only have 40 seconds to seek refuge in a bomb shelter. This means that at Elwyn, staff must maintain order and lead the dozens of people with disabilities into a relatively small shelter room in the building in under a minute. Moreover, even more challenging is the fact that during prolonged violence the facility may have to close for an extended period. For example, during last November’s unrest, the frequent dropping of bombs on Ashkelon required that the facility be closed for about a week. This creates a unique challenge for the individuals as well as their families, residential staff, or caregivers. Additionally, this also leads to an interruption in services for people with disabilities.

 

The Bomb Shelter in Elwyn Ashkelon

One thing this experience has made me realize is that there is no correct answer for handling services for people with disabilities. Whether it is an individual’s personal preferences, religion, abilities, family, or geographical location, each of these components creates a unique circumstance that must be considered when determining where an individual would best be placed.

On Monday we had the opportunity to meet with various HR executives and supervisors in three large organizations that employ people with disabilities from Elwyn in supported employment. We spoke with representatives from BDO (a leading Israeli financial and consulting firm), Aroma Espresso Bar (one of the largest coffee shop chains in Israel), and Dan Hotel (a renowned luxury hotel chain). While our conversations varied at each site, there were a few similarities between all three that truly struck me.

In each of these companies, the managers were extremely passionate about the importance of hiring people with disabilities. They made it a priority to support their employees in creating a productive and comfortable workplace, happily implementing any necessary accommodations. In cases where other executives within the corporation were hesitant to hire people with disabilities (or hire more), the supervisors acted as an advocate, and have continued to build a relationship with Elwyn and work to find more job placements. Moreover, the individuals were happy in their work environment, developing meaningful relationships with their co-workers and, in many cases, interacting with customers.  These situations served as perfect examples of what an ideal supported employment placement should be, and I wish that others could have heard the positive words that the employees and management shared with us.

Pictures and Facts from Weeks 1 and 2 at Israel Elwyn

Hi Everyone!

Sorry I haven't posted recently. Laura and I have both been exhausted by how much traveling we do during the week (and on weekends!). Some of the cities we have visited in the last week include:

• Beit Shemesh
• Nes Harim
• Haifa
• Yokneam
• Ra' anana
• Tel Aviv
• Herzliya

We have visited many sheltered workshops, integrated competitive employment workplaces, residential apartments for people with disabilities, and recreational and educational facilities for people with disabilities of all ages. We have had the pleasure of meeting with people from Israel Elwyn offices in Jerusalem, Haifa & Northern Israel, El Quds (located in the Old City, designed to provide services to Arabic speakers), and Sharon & Central Israel.

This is a gift shop where workers in the sheltered workshop can buy personal items with their salaries

Here are some brief notes that I wrote down while talking with Elwyn staff and affiliates:

• People working in sheltered workshops get a government subsidy for transportation; however, people who move to supported employment lose the transportation subsidy unless the person lives in a government-funded supported housing setting
• Many sheltered workshops in Israel pay workers between 200-500 shekels per month (less than $140 USD)
• The NGOs in Israel that provide housing and employment services to people with disabilities have to apply to receive money to provide services to specific individuals
• Approximately 70% of people with disabilities live at home with their families, 30% are in institutions, group homes, or apartments

Scanning station that people with disabilities use to scan large documents

Mainly, the people with disabilities scan documents for Hebrew University

People with disabilities took apart old electronics in order to recycle the parts

This is a break room at one of the highest paying sheltered workshops in Jerusalem

One of the things I found very interesting at the sheltered workshops and the competitive supported employment settings was the fact that Israel implements an adapted minimum wage. According to this policy, a person with a disability can make less money based on lower productivity than a non-disabled peer worker.

Shelter workshop where the workers were packaging puzzles

Some of the pottery goods that people with disabilities made for sale in local markets and malls

Laura and I also got to speak with some Elwyn staff about vocational rehabilitation services that Elwyn offers. One of the programs we found to be quite impressive was one that the office in Herzliya mentioned. This program attracts young people (teens to early twenties) to come to the office to socialize and discuss proper work etiquette. The Elwyn facilitator sets up flashcards and activities to encourage discussion and participation.

These flashcards explain why this body language is inappropriate in a job interview or workplace

Last weekend, I traveled to Tel Aviv and met up with my friend, Hannah Loeb, a music education major at University of Rhode Island and former co-worker when I used to work at a Jewish preschool day camp. We had fun at the port and at the beaches in Tel Aviv.

My friend, Hannah, and me on the beach in Tel Aviv

This weekend, I spent time with an employee from the Commission at her home in Ramot, Jerusalem. I slept over and went to pray at their neighborhood's synagogue 4 times! It was a great experience to turn off all electronics and focus on resting on the holy sabbath. Her husband and six children (ages 9 to 22) are a very welcoming bunch and I really appreciated that they "showed me the ropes" of how to keep all the rules of the sabbath. I certainly learned a lot about Judaism, Israel, and family values.

Shabbat is all about being with family. These families came to spend Shabbat with people living in Ramot (like me!) and were waiting to catch buses back to their own homes

 Laura and I were able to spend a lunch with Judge Steve Adler last Saturday. We had great conversations, excellent food, and a restful Shabbat. This week we were visited by Dr. Susanne Bruyere and were able to attend the Tower of David Evening Light Show with Rivka and Susanne. We also briefly visited Caesarea with Dr. Bruyere after we spent two days in Haifa.

Looking back on the last two weeks, I find it astonishing how much I have learned and how many places I have visited and how many people I have met. Laura and I want to extend a huge thank you to everyone that has helped us along the way (there are DEFINITELY too many names to mention).

In less than a week, Laura and I will be back in the USA. As we begin to pack and say our last goodbyes to everyone here in Israel, we both hope to be back in Israel in the near future. We are very much looking forward to sharing pictures and notes with the Employment and Disability Institute (EDI) in the ILR School at Cornell. Laura and I hope that our discussions with Elwyn and the Commission will prompt more in-depth conversations about disability employment policies and practices long after we return to America.