Blueprint for Social Change: Shaping an Impact-Based Strategy - Case Study 2002 – 2020
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communities in the United States and Israel and to replace it with the idea that inclusion is part of the concept of human rights and diversity. Inclusion of a person with a disability should not depend on the includer’s goodwill and should not be based on paternalism; rather, it is a basic right in a well-ordered society. These once radical messages are common today and are inherently accepted by professionals, decision-makers, opinion leaders and influencers, the public and people with disabilities. The thought patterns were changed by introducing language related to social conceptions of justice and human rights and through the repeated use of phrases such as, “the largest minority in the world” and “a fifth of the world’s population”. Thanks to collaborative work with our partners, together with additional processes that we led, we have effected substantial change in the Jewish world - in Jewish law, rituals and community life - while inculcating the value of inclusion in hundreds of communities of various Jewish denominations around the world. Impact on the public discourse One of the main achievements of which we are most proud is a change in awareness brought about through the use of traditional and social media. The Foundation identified an opportunity for bottom-up action on technological platforms and in social media. We brought together groups of activists and many other people with and without disabilities and positioned the inclusion discourse as a discussion of rights and social justice in the heart of the public arena. People with disabilities are now expressing their opinions and receivingmore authentic representation in themedia, in culture and in the entertainment industry. Through our work, we succeeded in reaching extensive audiences, lessening stereotypical perceptions and providing advanced content that sees the person with a disability as a complete person with the same rights as anyone else. Innovative responses and services Throughout the years of the Foundation’s activity, we invested extensive resources in an innovative way of responding to needs that would effect a highly significant change in the quality of life of people with disabilities. This process is based on the Foundation’s values and working methods, thanks to which we have successfully produced high- caliber, multisystem, multi-disability solutions enabling full inclusion in all areas of life, first in a pilot format, then expanded to a wider population, in a comprehensive geographical manner. The Foundation created an array of programs and services for all ages and aspects of life, with emphasis on increasing the representation of children and women with disabilities as part of a principle-based conception of equal rights. Both in the United States and in Israel, the programs were designed according to a model that would be sustainable in the long term, and most were adopted by their local and
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