News

Last week, Access Israel was an active participant in the Zero Project 2024 Conference held in Vienna. The conference focused on the theme of Inclusive Education ICT, and our organization was represented by a delegation of four team members.

The delegation began with a visit to the Austrian Parliament, including a private tour led by the President of the Parliament. Subsequently, we met with a member of the Parliament and the Parliament’s security team. In this meeting, we shared our activities in the Purple Vest Mission, gained insights into the Parliament’s training on accessibility during emergencies, and focusing on how the Parliament could benefit from Access Israel’s experience and expertise in this area.

On the conference’s first day, February 21st, we hosted a two-hour session on accessibility during emergencies. Israel’s Ambassador in Austria, Mr. David Roet, provided opening remarks, and Michal Rimon, Access Israel’s CEO, presented the recent activities of the Purple Vest Mission, and our model for accessibility during emergencies.

Participants engaged in experiential activities, including simulating an emergency announcement for those with hearing disabilities and locating emergency exits with eyes covered, participants viewed movies featuring individuals with disabilities sharing their personal experiences and  Moran Friedman, specifically shared her firsthand experience as a person with a hearing disability.

Furthermore, participants had hands-on experiences with technologies designed to assist individuals with disabilities during emergencies and Shelly Rom, VP of International Affairs, presented insights into the preparedness for emergency evacuations of people with disabilities from buildings.

A significant moment hapenned after the event, when the room cleared. The Head of Security at the UN in Vienna, who joined our session, approached us. He appreciated the educational value of the session, and added that there is a room for cooperation by having Access Israel educating the UN Security team.

On Thursday morning, Michal participated as a panelist in a discussion on Climate Change and Humanitarian Crises. During the panel, she shared insights into the model of the Purple Vest Mission and its adaptability to various crises.

We were honored to be invited for lunch hosted by the Turkish Savenchi Fund, marking their 50 years of work. This invitation served as a token of appreciation for our assistance during the earthquake in Turkey. During this special occasion, with the personal invitees  of representatives from various countries, we were presented with a special award by the Fund’s CEO that was served as a heartfelt appreciation for our dedicated support.

In between events, we engaged in many meetings to discuss exciting prospects for future collaborations.

The visit to Vienna was an important experience for the future of our activities, following many busy days filled with action. It provided a special opportunity for our voice and expertise to be heard on the international stage. These days were valuable in establishing connections with new partners and reinforcing our commitment and awareness to the topic of accessibility preparedness in emergency times.