Protecting and upholding the rights of persons with disabilities is a key facet of human rights and sustainable development, and is more relevant now than ever, considering that the global coronavirus pandemic that recently engulfed our world has hit people with disabilities hardest. Shaping an inclusive post-COVID future is imperative, and that is the vision that will anchor this years International Day of Persons with Disabilities, held annually on December 3. Israel is proud of the broad variety of measures and laws it has in place to protect the rights of persons with disabilities and ensure their full accessibility and integration. Legislation adopted across many years ensures equal rights for people with disabilities, protects them from discrimination, and guarantees special education for all disabled children and students, ensuring that their needs are met in any educational establishment they attend. Israel is committed to empowering people with disabilities and ensuring their full accessibility. Public areas and transportation are nearly always wheelchair accessible, and equal employment opportunities are protected through anti-discrimination laws. In fact, workplaces with over 100 employees in the both private and public sectors are required by law to employ disabled people totaling three percent and five percent respectively of their total workforce. There has also been increased awareness of the need for people with disabilities to have freely accessible information, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic. The Bizchut website provides users with a comprehensive database on the rights of persons with disabilities, while the Kesher Organization website promotes the quality of life and rights of families with special needs children and adults. These associations encompass just some of the civil society organizations that are devoted to promoting the rights of persons with disabilities in Israel. The Israeli private sector has also mobilized its world-renowned entrepreneurial capabilities towards improving the quality of life of persons with disabilities and securing their access to information. To this end, a range of innovative services and accessibility technologies have been developed over recent years. Arazim Mobiles tablet makes apps accessible to the blind and visually impaired with its dynamic tactile interface, while the Nagish service enables those who are deaf or hard-of-hearing to communicate over the phone by converting text to speech, and vice versa, in real time. The Israeli governments efforts to cultivate its innovation ecosystem and facilitate entrepreneurship have gone a long way in allowing entrepreneurs to create a more accessible world. OrCams assistive technology has not only changed the lives of tens of thousands of people worldwide, but their MyEye device was named the Best Invention of 2019 by TIME Magazine. The MyEye is a wearable device that reads text, recognizes faces, and identifies products for people who are blind or visually impaired. ReWalk Robotics, another Israeli startup, have created a wearable robotic exoskeleton that allows people with spinal cord injuries to stand upright, walk, and climb and descend stairs. These are just some of the truly miraculous creations that Israel – otherwise known as the Start-up Nation – has produced. As the world marks International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Israel is proud of the strides it has made to ensure full equality and accessibility for people with disabilities. We remain committed to innovating, collaborating to achieve the full integration and accessibility of all persons with disabilities in Israel, and sharing our experience with different sister countries worldwide, including Rwanda. The author is the Ambassador of Israel to Rwanda
