Leaving No One Behind
Access Israel serves Israel's 1.7 million citizens living with disabilities, including the more than 20,000 newly disabled since the war began – providing life-saving support during emergencies and fighting to build a more just and accessible society
When the first siren sounded in Sderot on the morning of October 7, Adah and her husband were staying at their daughter's home. Originally from Ashkelon, Adah was used to heading to the safe room during rocket alerts. But this time was different. Since she uses a wheelchair, she made a life-saving decision: to remain in the safe room. In her neighborhood, Hamas terrorists waited for residents to emerge from shelters, and some were shot as they stepped outside. Adah survived.
Just 90 minutes later, Access Israel – the nonprofit she had worked with as a disability awareness instructor – reached out. They didn't ask if she needed help; they asked how soon they could provide it.
This was part of the organization's Purple Vest Mission, a program dedicated to providing emergency support for people with disabilities and older adults through trained volunteers. Access Israel had led the Purple Vest Mission in war-torn Ukraine, supporting 14,000 people with disabilities and elderly people. On October 7, they immediately started implementing the program in Israel, with Adah as their first evacuee. Within hours, they secured an accessible housing alternative in northern Israel for Adah and her husband. After 36 hours in the safe room, once it was safe to evacuate, they reached safety.
A national lifeline for the 18%
On October 7, Access Israel's Purple Vest team activated its emergency operations center and deployed a nationwide network of trained volunteers and professionals. They coordinated thousands of evacuations, provided remote and in-person support, arranged accessible accommodations and medical services, and adapted homes without accessible shelters.
Today, Access Israel is building regional Purple Vest units that will provide a permanent layer of emergency accessibility for future crises. At the core of this effort are trained volunteers. With their local knowledge and close ties to the community, they can act swiftly, frequently well before official emergency services arrive. The Purple Vest model, already proven effective in Israel and around the world, is built on this community-driven approach.
One powerful example took place in Be'er Sheva, where trained volunteers evacuated a woman with a physical disability from the eighth floor of a damaged building. Using an accessible evacuation chair purchased after their training, they showed just how critical it is to have local responders who know both the people and their unique needs.
Israel is in the process of recovery and rebuilding, but without accessibility built in from the start, tens of thousands could be left behind. Sarah, 71, knows this reality all too well. After weeks away, she returned to her missile-damaged neighborhood to find her apartment still standing, but the nearby shelters were inaccessible. "I don't feel safe," she says – and now rarely leaves home. Her story reflects a deeper truth: without accessible infrastructure, recovery is incomplete.
Access Israel works with municipalities, architects, and funders to ensure universal design in public spaces, shelters, technologies, and services. Most importantly, people with disabilities are included as central stakeholders in the planning phase.
Rebuilding after the war is not only about physical spaces. The conflict has also triggered a parallel crisis – invisible disabilities. Since October 2023, over 11,000 Israelis have been diagnosed with trauma-related or mental health disabilities, including PTSD and anxiety. Many are civilians and children. Access Israel is responding by developing frameworks to raise awareness of psychosocial accessibility and by drafting policies and training programs to make public spaces, schools, and workplaces more inclusive for those coping with trauma.
This effort also includes initiatives such as The Day After, a program designed to support people adjusting to sudden disability through virtual and in-person sessions, a digital training course, and guidance for families. Disability may change someone's life, but with the right support, it doesn't have to define it. This isn't just about ramps and elevators. It's about building a society that recognizes and supports every kind of disability – including the ones we can't see.
Tools for a new reality
Access Israel is working to expand the Purple Vest Mission, ensure inclusive rebuilding, and strengthen thousands who cannot afford to be left behind. This work is made possible thanks to the generous support of dedicated partners, including JFNA, UJA, UIA, the Jewish Federations of North America and United Israel Appeal on the recommendation of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, and the Jewish Federation of Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston Inc, and the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago, The Seneca Trust UK, Check Point, Mivne Group, ZIM, El Al, Clal Insurance, Harel Insurance, and Accessibility Accelerator, together with Israeli allies such as the Home Front Command, the Ministry of Welfare, the Israeli Volunteering Council, JDC Israel Beyond Disabilities, and TOM: Tikkun Olam Makers.
Michal Rimon is the CEO of Access Israel .
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