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Disabled persons convening in Herzliya last month in protest of the delay in government funding for public activities for the disabled public. (Alon Ron)
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Last update - 08:49 03/12/2007
Report: Israel's disabled worst off in Western world
By Ruth Sinai, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Israel, poverty, disabled

Israel is second to last among developed countries in terms of the average incomes of disabled citizens in relation to its national wage average, according to a survey published Sunday.

Persons with disabilities in Israel earn about 34 percent less than the national average - a disparity second only to South Korea - whereas 16 of the 17 developed countries polled showed disabled persons' salaries are only 15 percent less on average than their national average wage.

The survey's findings, conducted by the Commission for Equal Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Cerpd) were released on the International Day of Disabled Persons.
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"These findings are very serious because they have far-reaching effects on the lives of not just disabled persons and their families, but on Israeli society as a whole," Dina Feldman, a legal aide for Cerpd, said. "We must bear in mind that one quarter of the population are disabled." Cerpd's figures put the number of disabled people in Israel at 1.36 million, of which 40 percent are seriously disabled, a number it said is rising faster than the natural population growth.

In 2003, the disabled people represented 23 percent of the population and rose to 25 percent in 2005, according to Cerpd. It noted that the number of people complaining of chronic illnesses and disabilities in Israel is much higher than that in most Western nations.

Reasons for the marked differences in income between disabled persons and the national average in Israel include limited welfare funds and the lack of education among disabled persons. For instance, half of the disabled over the age of 20, a group numbering about 200,000 people, did not graduate from high school.

In addition, only 46 percent of disabled persons were employed in 2006, a figure that rose by 6 percent since 2002.

Despite the recent increase in the number of disabled employed, a separate survey showed that some 85 percent of employers do not employ workers with disabilities. Some 36 percent of respondents said they believed hiring disabled persons is bad for business while 23 percent said they would not consider hiring them.

"The government of Israel is conducting a deliberate policy aimed at maintaining poverty among disabled persons," Yoav Kreem, an advocate of rights for the disabled, said.

International Day of Disabled Persons, on December 3, was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1992. It aims to promote understanding about disabilities and to encourage the integration of disabled persons into all aspects of political, social, economic and cultural life. This year's theme, "E-Accessibility," stresses the importance of modern technology in facilitating such integration.

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      1.   Since when is Israel part of "the West"? 06:40  |  peacelover 03/12/07
      2.   Fool`s paradise 07:47  |  Efraim 03/12/07
      3.   #1 West??? took the words from my mouth !!! 08:14  |  Israel_is_Done 03/12/07
      4.   Western world 09:33  |  Nad 03/12/07
      5.   1/4 of population disabled? That is a large number 09:36  |  Aaron 03/12/07
      6.   #2 Agreed ! 09:52  |  Aaron 03/12/07
      7.   THIS AND PREVIOUS GOVERNMENTS 10:59  |  Robert 03/12/07
      8.   Minister of Veteran Affairs ? 11:07  |  Stephen. 03/12/07
      9.   Israels ENabled Worst in the Western World 11:14  |  Micha 03/12/07
      10.   Some definitions please 11:29  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 03/12/07
      11.   Aaron (4) the rich own the country 11:31  |  Shoshana Thomasson 03/12/07
      12.   Israel not part of the West 11:34  |  Benny 03/12/07
      13.   Israel fails more and more comparisons with West 12:10  |  Avner 03/12/07
      14.   # 10 margie 12:50  |  Axel 03/12/07
      15.   Israel`s Disabled 12:52  |  leven5 03/12/07
      16.   #10, Margie in TA 13:26  |  Anton 03/12/07
      17.   poor disabled in israel 13:45  |  bobby goodman 03/12/07
      18.   Every country where political system is democracy is Western.. 13:50  |  IL supporter 03/12/07
      19.   to: Axel 13:52  |  leven5 03/12/07
      20.   Not West, but Wild West 14:01  |  Dav 03/12/07
      21.   Poverty among the disabled 14:47  |  Petra 03/12/07
      22.   #11 Shoshana 15:06  |  Benjamina 03/12/07
      23.   #21 Petra 15:10  |  Benjamina 03/12/07
      24.   reply to no 15, re I.Q 15:35  |  ROB OF MELBOURNE AUS 03/12/07
      25.   Empty Self Flattery 15:36  |  Only An American 03/12/07
      26.   To Margie in Tel Aviv 17:08  |  Shoshana Thomasson 03/12/07
      27.   This Is An Awful Story 17:15  |  Yosemite 03/12/07
      28.   It takes great commitment for a nation 17:45  |  Chris Linthwaite 03/12/07
      29.   Anton who `knows` what I mean: tell me why there are one in 4 17:56  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 03/12/07
      30.   Israel`s disabled 18:19  |  Sam 03/12/07
      31.   Shoshana no. 26 18:31  |  Steve 03/12/07
      32.   I am not surprised! 18:43  |  American Ninja 03/12/07
      33.   More victims 19:38  |  Danite 03/12/07
      34.   No Margie 19:41  |  Danite 03/12/07
      35.   To Danite 20:24  |  Shoshana Thomasson 03/12/07
      36.   Agressive driving is one of many reasons 21:17  |  TOMY 03/12/07
      37.   Expensive conflict 21:23  |  Meir 03/12/07
      38.   Just lets consider the % of immigrants 21:25  |  TOMY 03/12/07
      39.   shoshana no. 35 21:27  |  Steve 03/12/07
      40.   Danite, Israel is a much nicer place to 21:35  |  TOMY 03/12/07
      41.   Shoshana, when did you visit Israel last time? 21:44  |  TOMY 03/12/07
      42.   Israel then v. now 21:54  |  Steve 03/12/07
      43.   @ Steve. Neo Con philosophy does not fit Israel 23:02  |  Shoshana Thomasson 03/12/07
      44.   The priorities ot "Israel bashers" 23:26  |  Scharker Yid 03/12/07
      45.   Danite & Shoshana 23:43  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 03/12/07
      46.   Tomy NY, Glad you are so optimistic 23:48  |  Shoshana Thomasson 03/12/07
      47.   Tomy NY more points for a pessimist 23:54  |  Shoshana Thomasson 03/12/07
      48.   #42 Steve,that time when Israel was the darling 23:56  |  TOMY 03/12/07
      49.   Mrgie in expensive TA it is the occupation stupid 00:35  |  Labhras 04/12/07
      50.   Clearly these disable do not understand 01:41  |  Mark Lincoln 04/12/07
      51.   #38 - Excellent points 01:41  |  Global Citizen 04/12/07
      52.   Tomy 02:34  |  Danite 04/12/07
      53.   Labrhas the hypocrite 02:36  |  danite 04/12/07
      54.   Margie 02:44  |  Danite 04/12/07
      55.   Mark Lincoln more options for the disabled and poor 02:48  |  Danite 04/12/07
      56.   #47 Shoshana,I am a strong beliver in a market 04:06  |  TOMY 04/12/07
      57.   #47 Shoshana,more points for optimism 04:23  |  TOMY 04/12/07
      58.   irish rubbernecker and his fetish 04:25  |  peter 04/12/07
      59.   #47 Shoshana,Accusing Israel because 04:38  |  TOMY 04/12/07
      60.   Tomy, Markt Economy alone is bad for Israel 05:21  |  Shoshana Thomasson 04/12/07
      61.   mark lincoln CLEARLY is one SICK dog 06:24  |  CK Tan 04/12/07
      62.   no. 48 Tomy 06:25  |  Steve 04/12/07
      63.   Very surprised 07:08  |  Etonnee 04/12/07
      64.   mark lincoln CLEARLY is one SICK dog 08:41  |  CK Tan 04/12/07
      65.   It`s Bad for Busniess, silly!! 10:01  |  Yaakov Sullivan 04/12/07
      66.   TOMY, as I said its all about business 10:26  |  Yaakov Sullivan 04/12/07
      67.   # 23 Benjamina My Friend! 14:44  |  Petra 04/12/07
      68.   So now you are telling us Israel is a Western Country???? 17:01  |  Marc 04/12/07
      69.   # 65 Yaakov,your critisizm is correct,BUT 17:03  |  TOMY 04/12/07
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