Israeli Children Come Out and Play: Jewish State Leads the Way on Accessible Recreation

November 17, 2011 / 0 Comments

By Jay Ruderman

In another hopeful sign out of Israel, check out this article by Avigayil Kadesh detailing the new playgrounds and parks that welcome people with disabilities. No longer do they have to sit on the sidelines and watch as everyone else enjoys themselves.

Kadesh calls Friendship Park, a 9-acre stretch of Ra’anana’s City Park the “jewel in the crown” of Israel’s new generation of disabilities-friendly recreational offerings. A project that brought together the National Insurance Institute with area social workers and families of children with special needs, Friendship Park sets the standard for accessible play. Other accessible playgrounds have sprung up in Beesheva, Kfar Saba, Afula and Karmiel, and Haifa has one in the works. In addition, wheelchair-accessible park paths and picnic tables are cropping up across the country.

It’s terrific that, as tiny as it is, the Jewish State is emerging as a model for other countries in providing a quality of life to its citizens with disabilities. It’s a movement I’m proud to say our Foundation is actively participating in, one that will improve the lives of countless Israelis with disabilities and their families for years to come.

Click here to read the entire story about disabilities-accessible recreation in Israel, including a video of wheelchair-using Sesame Street character Sivan paying a visit to Friendship Park.

— Jay Ruderman