Americans with Disabilities
We have long recognized that people with disabilities are some of our nation's greatest untapped resources.
Israel also recognizes that people with disabilities are an important resource. This resource has been tapped
from the beginning as Holocaust survivors and disabled veterans of Israel's six wars have become major
contributors to the nation.
One priority under the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Labor and Social Services and
the Department of Health and Human Services is to explore ways of assisting people with developmental
disabilities. For example:
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The University of California at Santa Barbara and Tel Aviv University designed and piloted a computer
program that helps people with developmental disabilities find employment.
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The University of Rochester and Ben-Gurion University worked to expand the use of, and test a community-based crisis intervention model for the explosive behavior of people with developmental disabilities.
Israel also has an innovative service, Milbat, the Israeli Center for Technological Aids, Housing and
Transportation for the Disabled. Milbat maintains a library with information on makeshift gadgets and special
devices to assist the disabled. It also conducts seminars for professionals who work with the disabled and offers
counseling to the disabled and their families.
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