Access Israel, a leading NGO dedicated to promoting accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities in Israel and around the world. Our mission is to empower individuals with disabilities by creating an accessible inclusive society that fosters equal opportunities, independence, and meaningful participation.

You probably heard of Hamas - Isis' brutal attack against Israeli civilians, killing, wounding and kidnapping women, kids, men, some of them people with disabilities and elderly.

Since the atrocities of the Black Saturday October 7 ^th, we have been receiving hundreds of requests from people with disabilities in zones under attack from information request to accessible rescues to an accessible safe missile proof alternative housing. Each request demands tailormade handling and solutions due to the complexity of each personal disability situation.

As all citizens know, it is difficult for all in emergency situations – but for people with disabilities it is twice as hard . Generic solutions do not fit all.

The Purple Vest initiative is a critical program aimed at providing essential assistance, rescue, and support to individuals with disabilities and the elderly during emergency situations and in our case war. This mission stands as a beacon of hope and ensures the safety and well-being of a highly vulnerable population during their time of need.

We are there for people with disabilities making sure they are not left behind.

Access Israel has developed in depth professional knowledge in the area of best practice regarding emergency situations not only in Israel.

  The Purple Vest mission by Access Israel started in February 2022, with the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. Access Israel developed, operated and led Operation Purple Vest Ukraine, in which approximately 4,000 people with disabilities and elderly with their families were accessibly evacuated and rescued and about 10,000 people with disabilities and the elderly that decided to stay at their homes were supported with equipment and medicines and other needs.  

For our activities in Ukraine, Access Israel won the International Zero Project Conference Special Award at the UN in Vienna, Austria. We also attended the UN CRPD (Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) conference in New York, June 2023, where we presented in an experiential way, our model sharing it with countries around the world Since Ukraine we have shared our implementation methodology in other disaster areas.

At this point of time there is a crucial need for our Purple Vest Mission in Israel!To save people with disabilities and the elderly.

We urgently need donations for the following Purple Vest Israel mission elements:

1.      SAAA – Safe Alternative Accessible Accommodation for people with disabilities / elderly and their families. There are hundreds of families with disabilities in the conflict zone without protection or unable to reach a protected area due to their severe disability. There is no formal entity that helps them. They are desperate and looking for alternative wartime safe accessible housing. Access Israel does the job. Access Israel reaches out, verifies, treats, transports, and accompanies applicants with disabilities and checks against the accessible alternative (hotel, apartment, AirBNB) that are suitable and accessible and in terms of protection and communication.

      In many cases this requires funding solutions of housing / hotels according to specific special needs of those with disabilities and their families. As part of the project, we are publishing a call for those who need evacuation to accessible alternative housing, a digital platform for registering and finding accessible alternative accommodation. Access Israel's staff ensures that the needs of accessibility and the family are matched with the suitable accessible housing alternative. The Call Centre is actively involved in this process. The hosts receive guidance and telephone assistance from the call center to ensure the suitability of the accessible alternative and accompany the guests with support and assistance as long as the war is ongoing.

2.      Accessibility training series - Training of call centers, volunteers, high school's students, municipalities employees, businesses, public places and to volunteer's groups. This training program will educate on accessibility, inclusivity, and proper emergency response procedures, fostering a culture of empathy and support towards individuals with disabilities and enabling the inclusion assisting in this challenging emergency, war times with communication and support for people with disabilities and elderly.

The Training on how to communicate and assist people with various types of disabilities – there are dozens of Help Centers and volunteer groups for telephone support, information and updates, assistance, and rescue. None of them have been focusing the training on how to communicate with those who don't hear. Or having trouble understanding? How do you help those who can't see? Or someone who can't get around? How to rescue a person in a wheelchair or with walking disabilities or with an illness from a place without an elevator and more.

The training is critical, Access Israel has developed the required knowledge as part of the project, we are developing training materials such as digital courses, videos, presentations, brochures, a dedicated website, and an online training course and information on the Internet and in a variety of languages.

3.      Accessible call center - with an extensive team of trained employees and volunteers we are supporting in an accessible manner individuals with disabilities (PWD). This call center is providing guidance, assistance, temporary solutions, medical equipment, equipment, clothes, food, and any needs. The Call Center staff maintains regular contact with the evacuees for assistance and support as needed and is a reliable point of contact and addressing their unique needs.

4.      Documentary Movies for Awareness Impact – to film and document rescue stories of people with disabilities and elderly dealing with war challenges. To share globally on social media the level of danger and distress when living under missile attack when lacking safe home, we will also document and share accessible rescue by Purple Vest Volunteers to alternative accessible safe homes. These movies will be translated to languages uploaded to social media and advertise worldwide to know. This will show the world the way Israel helps in war time the biggest minority of the world.

Donate to Access Israel and Help Rescue, Evacuate and Host People With Disabilities And The Elderly To Accessible Safe Places - Click here 

Irit, our volunteer (right), helps a woman from Ashkelon

evacuate to a safe and accessible place.

Our volunteer (right) and the evacuated family are on their way

 to a safe and accessible place.

our volunteer, helps a woman evacuate to a safe

and accessible place.