Today, Wednesday, October 21, 2009 is being observed as National Disabled Awareness Day in Israel, the first of its kind, seeking to increase public awareness to the difficulties faced by members of the disabled community around the country.

Police have agreed to cooperate and a focus will be placed on vehicles using parking spots designated for disabled drivers without authorization. Israel Police officials stress that even a vehicle with a legitimate valid handicapped permit may only use an allocated parking spot when the disabled driver is operating the vehicle. The parking spots used by family members driving the car are an abuse of the system, and illegal as well.

Police will be out in force seeking to increase driver awareness, explaining stopping in a handicapped parking space is as bad as parking, since it blocks the path of a disabled motorist. Law-enforcement officials will also be on the lookout for expired and forged handicapped parking permits.

There will also be an effort to bring the problem of inadequate access to public buildings to the spotlight, as non-profits representing the nation’s disabled sector continue the uphill battle to compel government ministries to comply with court rulings, to provide handicapped access. While progress is evident, the situation is far from acceptable and wheelchair ridden citizens continue to ponder how they can negotiate entry to many a government office, police station, courthouse and more.

YWN Israel adds the same should hold true for shuls and yeshivas as well, but unfortunately, this is not the case and disabled Jews frequently find they cannot access a specific shul or beis medrash.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)