MK Yisrael Eichler, who heads the Knesset Ombudsman Committee, responded to calls from assistance from parents with severely disabled children. The parents were attending a session of the Knesset committee on Wednesday, 13 Menachem Av.

Parents of disabled children were invited to take part in the session, which addressed their needs and their rights. The session addressed severely disable children whom are R”L confined to special carts and unable to take care of their own needs in anyway. Parents representing this community included Druse from northern Israel as well as chareidim from Yerushalayim and others from elsewhere.

The common denominator was the pain and suffering described by the parents, all detailing how they are “drowning in the bureaucracy” instead of receiving the aid and assistance they are entitled to from various government agencies. They lamented how they are “crushed under the weight” of their children’s condition despite their best efforts, questioning how the state can continue to abandon this helpless population.

The mother of a three-year-old from the Krayot area of northern Israel explained her son is entitled to respiratory care which includes a nurse visiting the school he attends. He is also entitled to a nurse escort during transport to and from home and school. Now that he is completing kindergarten and moving to first grade, he is no longer entitled to this service. She questions what she is supposed to do and how one takes care of such a child who wishes to attend school.

She explained that her son fell between the various state agencies, including her local government, the Education Ministry, as well as welfare and health services. The committee members were puzzled why the Education Ministry cannot simply fill out the necessary paperwork and assist the child rather than continuing to drag the mother from agency to agency without any chance of relief.

It is pointed out that a decade ago the Tzipori Committee set regulations into place regarding severely disabled children and the burden falls on the Education Ministry. Sadly, while there are regulations, it appears that there are no consequences against civil servants who prefer not to assist parents despite the fact their assistance is not an act of chessed, but the entitlement of the child and parent.

Other parents detailed their harsh realities and the suffering of the children and families, and how they are told they are not entitled to transportation for one reason or another, finding themselves stranded at home for their children cannot attend daycare or school.

Committee Chairman Yisrael Eichler stated he will personally follow up on the cases brought to his attention and he will direct Education Ministry officials to do what the law demands they do regarding services provided to the severely disabled student population. He turned to the ministry’s representative on the committee as well. Eichler stated that sadly, the regulations resulting from the Tzipori Commission are gathering dust rather than being implemented.

Eichler added he will do his best to meet with Education Minister Naftali Bennett as soon as possible to convey the feelings of the Ombudsman Committee and its representatives to the various government agencies.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)