Online Program

338524
Building Bridges: The Ma'an, Beyahad and Together Program Promoting Israeli Jewish-Arab Collaboration in the Field of Disabilities


Monday, November 2, 2015 : 10:50 a.m. - 11:10 a.m.

Benjamin Maor, Beit Issie Shapiro, Ra'anana, Israel

Jean Judes, MSW, Beit Issie Shapiro, Ra’anana, Israel
Beit Issie Shapiro (BIS) is Israel’s leading organization furthering the rights, opportunities and services for people with disabilities, impacting on over 30,000 people every year. We play a pioneering role in the development and provision of cutting edge services, changing attitudes in society and advocating for better legislation, and sharing knowledge throughout Israel, as well as internationally, through research, consultation and training. Beit Issie Shapiro has Special Consultative Status with the UN’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) since 2012.

The mission of BIS is to bring about changes in Israeli society, making it more inclusive, showing increasing sensitivity to cultural differences, and building a community in children and adults with special needs in Israel, irrespective of their class, religion or ethnicity.

Over the past 12 years BIS has developed a broad-based partnership with the Israeli Arab community, providing a continuum of services and building true bridges between Jewish and Arab professionals and parents in Israel. Closing the gap in service provision between the Israeli Jewish and Arab communities is one of our core undertakings.

As part of this commitment, BIS is leading the Ma’an, Beyahad and Together project - by initiating relationships and collaborations between Jewish and Arab youth, families affected by disability and professionals, the project builds personal connections around the shared issue of disability. The project focuses on developing mutual trust and understanding between Jewish and Arab Israeli participants – the foundations of peaceful coexistence.

First stage of research will be presented on the successes and challenges of the program measuring the number of joint initiatives implemented by parents, professionals and youth task forces; the increase in positive perception about "the other"; and the increase of knowledge among parents, professionals and youth in the field of disabilities and increased skills in the field of community activism.

Learning Areas:

Advocacy for health and health education
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Diversity and culture
Program planning
Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
List two critical factors needed to empower professionals (coming from different communities with a history of conflict) to work together to create and disseminate programs that address the needs of the disabled and promote their social equality. List two benefits derived by professionals (coming from different communities with a history of conflict) who together work to create and disseminate programs that address the needs of the disabled and promote their social equality.

Keyword(s): Special Needs, Community-Based Partnership & Collaboration

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Benjamin Maor is the Director of International Resource Development at Beit Issie Shapiro, Israel’s leading non-profit organization in the field of disabilities, which impacts on over 30,000 people annually through developing and providing direct educational and therapeutic services, changing attitudes in the community and influencing policy, and developing and disseminating knowledge through research and training. Through the organization’s international affiliations its impact also reaches professionals in countries around the world.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.