Access Israel is a non-profit organization that works to promote accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities and the elderly to improve their lives in all spheres of life. The organization was established in 1999 by Yuval Wagner, a former helicopter pilot Lieutenant Colonel in the IDF, who has become wheelchair bound and paralyzed from the neck down after a helicopter crash. At the time, Israel was not accessible for people with disabilities and Yuval encountered many obstacles in his daily activities. However, Yuval didn't want to accept the situation and contacted former Israeli President Ezer Weizman, who encouraged him to establish an organization in order to create a social change. Since its establishment Access Israel transformed the lives of thousands of people with disabilities.

The participants are served with three courses; the first course is served while their eyes are covered, the second course while their hands are covered with special gloves and the third while their ears are covered in order to simulate the loss of the senses. During the meal an open dialog is held with people with the specific disability which the participants experience. We aim to enable each participant to get to know the person behind the disability, how he/she manages to integrate into society, their needs and their success stories. In addition, participants experiment with sign language and braille, and learn about accessibility. The dinner is a way to stimulate the senses and introduce participants to experiences they never encountered before in order to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities.

The meal is a wonderful platform for lecturers, also external ones, to talk about accessibility from various perspectives.

To learn more about the "Feast of the Senses", please watch this video.

Itinerary for the "Feast of the Senses

• Meeting area – usually for a cocktail  
• The participants are brought into the room blindfolded 
• Introduction speech  
• First course: the participants try to eat the first course while blindfolded. A person with visual disabilities will talk about his/her personal journey, struggles and success living with the disability 
• Second course: the participants receive gloves that simulate a physical disability. The participants try to eat their main course while eating with those gloves and listening to a person with a physical disability sharing his/her story. 
• Desert: the participants receive headphones that simulate hearing disabilities. The participants try to order their desert and speak to each other without hearing. During the desert a deaf person gives a short introduction into sign language and shares his/her story. 
• In between courses we present short video clips.