October 22, 2007

The Knesset has enacted a new law which will enable some of Israel's most disabled citizens to be employed by public organizations and companies. The legislation was initially proposed and formulated by veteran NIF grantee Bizchut: Center for Human Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Tirza Leibowitz, Legal Advisor to Bizchut, explains that this new law is the direct outcome of the Equal Rights for People with Disabilities Law (Israel's equivalent of the Americans With Disabilities Act), which was passed several years ago. "According to the law, employers are not allowed to discriminate against or exploit employees with disabilities," she says. "This meant that employers were no longer legally able to take on people with severe disabilities like Downs Syndrome and pay them a small salary adjusted to their productivity, even if their aim is not to make their organization more efficient, but rather help people with disabilities to contribute to the community."

For example, Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem is now able to employ 40 people with various forms of mental disabilities who perform tasks such as collecting and distributing laundry and laboratory tests. The new law has established committees to define the level of somebody's productivity and the amount of financial payment they may receive.