International Day of Persons with Disabilities...

Wheelchair Obstacle Course at International Day of
Persons with Disabilities, in Ashqelon 

...was Friday last week.  I have a friend whom I usually meet for a walk and coffee on Friday mornings when we're both available, who it happens is legally blind.  As I had received a text message from the Ashqelon Municipal Department of Retiree Activities the day before, that there would be a special observance down at the marina on Friday morning, I suggested to my friend that we walk down to the marina to see what's on.

It was timely, because I had just read in the newspaper earlier in the week, that a recent poll of Israelis showed a startling lack of understanding of disabilities.  According to the survey, 60 percent of all Israelis think the disabled to be mentally incompetent.  The survey question did not differentiate between the specific types of disabilities; in other words, 60 percent of Israelis seem to think that any disabled person (blind, deaf, mobility impaired,,,) is also mentally incompetent.

One thing that I like about living in Israel is that, when a legitimate societal issue is raised, it is then usually addressed by various governmental bodies in a way that is hoped to be helpful.  In that regard, I thought the activities set up in Ashqelon friday were  brilliant.

The theme was to teach young people - before they develop attitudes that are difficult to change - what the disabled face in their everyday lives.  The marina was full of high school students, who were offered the morning off if they attended the event.

Deafness Station

A number of stations were set up, to enable the kids to sample what it is like to be disabled.  There was a wheelchair obstacle course, to show the obstacles that wheelchair users face everyday just in trying to get around.  And there was also a wheelchair basketball station, to show athletic young people (and basketball is probably the most popular sport here) just how hard it is for the mobility-impaired to realize their athletic dreams.

Blindness Station

There was a blindness station, where the kids wore eye shades and were introduced the reality of having to visualize things through descriptions.  And there was a deafness station, where kids wearing ear protectors had to try to communicate with one another.


In addition to all these exhibits to help the non-disability community better appreciate the challenges facing the disabled, there were also stations where a number of governmental and non-government organizations could pass out helpful information and address the concerns of the disabled in making sure they get all the benefits, to which they're entitled.

All this comes after a period - during the last three months - when the disabled have been holding public protests, including blocking traffic on major arteries, to raise awareness of their plight.  For what it's worth, it appears that someone has been listening.