Brief Description

The Institute for the Advancement of Deaf Persons in Israel was established in 1993 with the goal of providing previously unavailable services for the deaf and hard of hearing population and of advancing and improving the existing field. Today, we continue to provide professional, educational and rehabilitation services and programs for deaf and hard of hearing children, youth and adults in Israel. Deaf and hard of hearing people who participate in the programs which we initiate, develop and implement are empowered both to help others and to live their own lives more independently and productively, with full access to the types of services and opportunities already available to the hearing population.

Background

The Institute for the Advancement of Deaf Persons in Israel was established in 1993 by professionals in the field of deafness to initiate, develop and implement programs for the empowerment and independence of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community in Israel. Today, we continue to provide professional, educational and rehabilitation services for deaf and hard-of-hearing children, youth and adults in Israel, of which there are approximately 10,000 profoundly deaf people alone, as well as an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 hard of hearing individuals. We also hold workshops and seminars, give presentations and provide consultation services and training to professionals and members of the community.

Over the years, our services have helped over 5,000 deaf and hard-of-hearing Israelis become successful, well-integrated citizens and to live independent and productive lives. We have had a major impact on the way profoundly deaf persons cope with a hearing society ill-equipped to successfully integrate "different" populations within its midst as well as on the way hearing society relates and adapts to deaf persons and their unique needs and culture. Ultimately, our ideal vision is that the deaf and hard of hearing community will gain equal access to the services available to hearing people and that their quality of life will improve as they become more independent. This will benefit not only this community, but also Israeli society as a whole.

In order to achieve these goals we focus on five major areas: social and professional empowerment; children-at-risk; advocacy for equal resource allocation and accessibility; crisis intervention and strengthening Jewish-Deaf identity. Many of our programs, as can be seen below, also address the need to provide these individuals with the tools and determination to lift themselves and their families out of poverty. Innovative programs that we have developed and continue to run include:

 

• Mentoring Deaf Children at Risk: In this innovative program deaf and hard of hearing individuals serve as mentors, or successful role models, despite the challenges. Deaf college students and graduates mentor either an individual deaf child identified as "at-risk", or work in group settings with children and youth. The program aims to identify and prevent abuse at home and in the community, and also enables the mentors to gain valuable work experience. In practice, it also serves to provide at risk and disadvantaged children with the determination to make something of themselves, and thus prevents them from sinking into poverty and dependence.
• Storytelling In Sign: Deaf people, and particularly deaf children, usually lack access to oral history, which is an important source of creative ideas and expressions of cultural and communal significance. This program trains deaf individuals (45 to date) to work as sign language storytellers, performing for deaf, hearing, and mixed audiences of all ages. Beyond the benefit to the audiences, this program enables the deaf storytellers to earn much needed income and thus to keep or lift themselves and their families out of poverty. It is run in cooperation with JDC – Israel.
• Hot Line and Information Center: The Information Center serves the many adults and children in Israel who have hearing losses at various levels, as well as their family members and professionals in the field. It is staffed by a hard-of-hearing coordinator who gathers, coordinates and makes accessible necessary and relevant information in many important areas of life. These include employment, issues of daily importance, technological solutions and medical information. This service, which is partially funded by JDC – Israel, grants the deaf and hard of hearing community equal access to basic rights and services long available to the hearing population.
• Jewish Deaf Heritage Program: This program aims to preserve and pass on the unique and separate Jewish Heritage of the deaf population in Israel. In the past year the focus has been primarily on documenting and preserving the experiences and legacies of deaf and hard of hearing individuals during the Holocaust and on helping these survivors develop a personalized understanding of their experiences. In the future deaf educators serving as mentors will provide deaf and hard of hearing children with hands-on lessons which will enable them to explore their Jewish heritage and identity, often for the first time. They will learn about prayers in sign language, gain access to religious celebrations and learn how Jewish Law addresses deafness and those with disabilities.
• Opening Doors to Higher Education: This program includes providing sign language interpreters and computer- assisted note taking in classes, educational counseling, helping the students receive what they are entitled to by law (and working to improve the laws), as well as providing financial assistance. All of these efforts serve to provide equal access to higher education for deaf and hard of hearing individuals. With our assistance over 450 deaf persons have successfully graduated from Israeli colleges and universities.
• Crisis Intervention Program: In response to the difficult security situation in Israel and in cooperation with the UJA Federation of New York we developed a multifaceted program to ease the strain and worries of deaf and hard-of-hearing persons during times of crisis. The program includes practical training, workshops in ways to act in different types of emergency situations and a support program to help deaf persons deal with their fears and anxieties. It serves between over 300 deaf and hard of hearing children and adults per year.
• The Road to Economic Independence: This new program aims at assisting deaf and hard of hearing individuals find and keep appropriate employment, and thus to gain economic independence and integrate into the general workforce. We strengthen and support the individual and also prepare and encourage the work places to hire and absorb deaf and hard of hearing workers. With past cooperation from the Natan Fund and from Tevet: Fighting poverty through Employment - JDC Israel.
• Accessing Critical Care: Educating Deaf People on Navigating their Medical Emergencies For people suffering a medical crisis, quick and appropriate health care can literally mean the difference between life and death. For deaf and hard-of-hearing people their disability can create an accessibility and language barrier that can interfere, derail or prevent them from receiving the necessary care. In a medical emergency it is vital that patients receive timely and appropriate intervention for their problems. The deaf and hard-of-hearing population is often overlooked by medical professionals, resulting in sub-standard and at times inappropriate medical treatment. At best this is inconvenient, time-consuming and wasteful. At worst it could cost a deaf person their life. The primary purpose of this program is to teach deaf people skills and strategies that will be useful for interacting with medical professionals in times of medical emergencies. As most hearing people know, navigating an emergency room can be difficult and confusing. It is even more so for someone with a hearing loss, who cannot easily communicate with the people around them. Therefore, it becomes necessary that they develop alternative strategies. With deaf children, we work on helping them to identify what a medical emergency is, such as finding a parent lying on the floor or being unable to wake up a sleeping parent. We then teach them how to locate and alert another adult, such as finding a neighbor or adult and leading them by the hand to the person needing help. This kind of training and practicing of what to do helps them to handle an actual medical emergency with greater skill and mastery, reduces their fear, and allows for a better outcome for all involved. We are currently seeking initial funding to begin this program.
• Sela Support Center: The Sela Center for Support Services: We are the official national provider of support services for deaf and hard of hearing Israelis. These services include Sign Language interpreting, computer assisted note-taking and the provision of equipment to which deaf and hard of hearing Israelis are entitled.

We are a national organization whose programs serve all residents of the country, from children to adults, secular and religious, of varying socio-economic backgrounds, and without regard to race, ethnicity, gender, physical ability or language. Our staff consists of one full time paid staff member (our Director), 8 part time staff members, 36 individuals who are employed on an hourly basis and 28 volunteers. We work closely with other existing agencies in Israel and abroad, combining all possible resources for the benefit of the deaf and hard-of-hearing population in Israel. We differ from other organizations in four important ways. One, we were founded by, and continue to be run and staffed by professionals in the field. Second, and possibly most importantly, deaf, hard-of-hearing and hearing professionals work together on our staff and in our programs and activities, serving as an example of successful integration into the work force. In fact, our example, combined with the emotional and practical help that we provide, has helped many deaf and hard of hearing individuals find work in other fields as well. Third, unlike other organizations in Israel, we do not restrict our activities, or define our organization, by age or by degree of hearing loss in our target population. Fourth, we work on the creation of new and innovative programs and the improvement of existing programs