[Missouri-l] Trip to Israel for Youth who are Both Jewish and Blind

[Denny Huff]

  Israel on the Horizon   Summer Experience in 
> Israel for Blind and Visually Impaired Yuth



summer 2012   Ofek Liyladenu Israel National 
>Association of Parents of Blind and Visually Impaired Children, in 
conjunction with the Jewish Institute for the Blind in Jerusalem, are 
planning the first special Israel summer tour program for blind and 
visually impaired youth, ages 15 to 21. The pilot trip will be for 
twelve days, combining educational touring throughout the country with 
outdoor activities and social programs with Israeli youth. The 2012 
summer program has reached out to include visually impaired youth from 
North America, England and
Australia.     The Israel experience has always 
been seen as an essential part of fostering Jewish identity and 
creating a bond between Jews around the world.  Today, over 300,000 
youth, 18 to 26 years old have participated in the Taglit Birthright 
program, bringing youth from all over the world to Israel for a 10 day 
educational experience.  Research reflects that this experience is 
powerful in influencing Jewish identity, a connection to Israel, and 
solidarity
with the Jewish people.   Where Israel once 
received high ratings as inaccessible to people with disabilities, 
today the Ministry of Tourism has made great efforts to make tourism 
more accessible to those with disabilities and tourist companies have 
sprung up offering
accessibe tourism for all ages.    Potential 
highlights of the trip include: *    Jerusalem's 
Old and New cities, including the Western Wall 
and Jerusalem's unique markets *     Climbing 
Masada and swimming in the Dead Sea  * Visit to Bedouin tent and 
discussion of minorities in Israel  * Neot Kedomim, the biblical 
landscape reserve  * Sports including goal ball, tandem biking, 
horseback riding and
swimming  *     Meetings with individuals and 
organizations involved in issues of disability rights in Israel, 
including Members of Knesset  *  Visit to Israel Defense Force base for 
a briefing and army experience.  We hope you'll join us and tell your 
friends about the
program.   For more information, and 
pre-registration contact:   Bob Fenton: bfenton at actcom.co.il
 >>
 >> Ofek Liyladenu  www.ofek-liyladenu.org.il Jewish Institute for the 
 >> Blind
Ofek Liyladenu  Israel National Association
 of Parents of Blind and Visually Impaired Children
 >> Spring 2012
Ofek Liyladenu  Israel National Association
 of Parents of Blind and Visually Impaired Children is an organization 
 that advocates for the needs of the 3,000 blind and visually impaired 
 children in Israel. Established in
 1997 by Guila Seidel, whose daughter Nellie was born blind, we provide 
 a friendly supportive network for families, offer updated information, 
 and initiate and implement innovative projects to maximize the 
 integration of our children into mainstream society. In addition to 
 building a warm caring community for families and children, our wide 
 range of activities benefit 20,000 visually impaired and blind adults 
 throughout the country and promote awareness of the needs and rights 
 of the blind among the general public in Israel. The organization is 
 operated by volunteers and two part-time staff members.
Main Activities of Ofek Liyladenu (Our Children's Horizon) include:
Advocacy: Promoting solutions to the needs
of our children and others with disabilities through advocacy in 
 government and the Knesset.
 We hold individual meeting with Members of Knesset, Knesset 
 committees, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Welfare and the 
 National Insurance Institute. This year, in conjunction with B'zchut 
 Israel Human Rights Center for People with Disabilities, we petitioned 
 the High Court demanding that all educational materials, including 
 matriculation exams, be made accessible in Braille, large print and 
 audio format.
Public Education and Awareness: "Seeing It
 Differently" is a project where blind youth lead an experiential 
 workshop for non-visually impaired audiences through which they can 
 convey the everyday challenges of being blind.
 In addition, the chairperson of Ofek and parent volunteers devote time 
 to media appearances and meet regularly with medical students, parents 
 from kindergartens for the visually impaired, teachers and other 
 groups. Our annual conference is a platform for sharing new ideas and 
 knowledge with parents and professionals and serves to promote 
 awareness among the general public.
 Supporting Parents:  Parent volunteers
> provide practical advice, support and encouragement to other parents 
> of blind children, thus building a warm, supportive network for 
> families. In addition, parent groups, a hotline, e-letter, bi-annual 
> magazine and a website are all part of our wide support network, 
> providing up-to-date information, referrals and advice. Family 
> gatherings held throughout the year give parents and siblings a safe 
> caring environment in which to meet other families that cope with 
> similar challenges.
> >>
> >> Special Programs: "Work on the Horizon", a
> summer work program for high school youth, empowers and prepares youth 
> for integration into the workforce and educates employers to the 
> potential of the visually impaired. Our Electronic Library (the first 
> in Israel) provides online content including newspapers, magazines and 
> books, which can be read in text to voice format or Braille.  Special 
> workshops for adolescent girls deal with the specific challenges of 
> their age group. "Musical Dreams"
> offers subsidized music lessons to children and youth throughout the 
> country; home tutoring provides extra educational support. The Fund 
> for Special Equipment subsidizes essential educational and medical
equipment.
"Ofek Liyladenu is a family of families,
> providing every parent with the support and tools needed to raise 
> independent children that can integrate into the mainstream of 
> society.
> We insure that no one is left alone to cope with the complex 
> challenges of raising a visually impaired child in Israeli society."