The Access Israel association, always at work to improve the quality of life for handicapped and disabled persons, produced this event “Feeling Accessibility 2013” as a happening of intense experiences, involving and challenging all senses, to achieve greater awareness among the general populace to the issues of accessibility, disabled sports, and the equality and huge potential of handicapped persons in society.
Thousands of visitors to the Tel Aviv Port (parents and children alike) had the opportunity to watch the Maccabi Tel Aviv veterans basketball team, in wheelchairs, face the Israel National Wheelchair Basketball team and to personally experience disabled sports by playing wheelchair table-tennis , wheelchair rugby and soccer for the blind, or riding hand-bikes, tandem bikes while blindfolded and accompanied by a guide, wheel chairs over an obstacle course, and taking part in other activities.
Special activity stations, designed for family participation, with the motto “you cannot understand unless you experience” enhanced visitors awareness of handicaps by letting them taste ice cream while blindfolded, draw huge graffiti without the use of hands, mouth paint, walk with a guide dog, take part in a sign language workshop, dance (with headphones) at a party for the hearing impaired, undergo sign language tattoos and have many other unique experiences.
All this was capped by a formation overflight in which took part a handicapped pilot and handicapped persons and a special water parade of yachts, sailboats and kayaks that sailed along the shore in a show of solidarity. At the event were present the Deputy Minister of Finance, MK Karin Elharar, MK Ilan Gilon, himself a promoter of the accessibility issue, sports stars, paralympic sports persons and the general public. The event’s climax was a formation flight in which took part a handicapped pilot and handicapped passengers, a solidarity water parade alongside the port quay and exhibition games with famous basketball veterans: Doron Jamchi, Tal Brody, Aulcie Perry and others.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to:
The Port of Tel Aviv, the Israel Sports Association for the Disabled, the Israel Paralympics Committee, Spivak, ILAN, the Etgarim-Challenge Association, Beit Halochem, Kenvelo, Mehalev, Bekol, Pay It Forward, Israel Guide Dog Center for the Blind – Beit Oved and Yad Sarah.
and to all sponsors and organizations whose active help made this happening possible:
the Azrieli Foundation, Amot Investments, Babylon, Melisron, Mey Eden, Bank Leumi, First International Bank, Leumi Card, Afikim Electric Vehicles, Segula Southern Sport, Promarket – Nestle, Eyal Coatings, Hydrofix, Tal Hotel, Hashmira, Pitango, Cup O Joe, Aroma (Shefa Franchises Ltd). We thank the entire Access Israel staff, who has toiled many days organizing this event, and, in particular
the association’s CEO, Michal Rimon
the project manager, Or Cohen
the Legal Advisor, Att. Orel Galula Lapid
Special thanks to
the event’s producer – Ornit Ben-Dror
the technical producer – Eran Bachar
the Public Relations firm – Lev Tikshoret
For more images in Hebrew – click here
This article was translated voluntary by Ilan Elron
