In line with this ideal, Israel is particularly proud of the wide variety of measures and laws it has in place to protect the rights of persons with disabilities and ensure their full accessibility and inclusion. Legislation adopted over the years ensures equal rights for persons with disabilities, protects them from discrimination, and guarantees inclusive education for all children, ensuring that their needs are met in any educational establishment they attend. Anti-discrimination laws also require workplaces with over 100 employees in both the private and public sectors to employ persons with disabilities totaling at least three percent and five percent respectively of their total workforce. The Commission for Equal Rights of Persons with Disabilities, based in the Ministry of Justice, is also tasked with promoting polices, enforcing accessibility regulations and overseeing the implementation of the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Additionally, the Israeli private sector has leveraged its world-renowned entrepreneurial capabilities to improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities. As a result, a range of innovative services and assistive technologies have been developed over recent years. For example, Arazim Mobile's tablet makes apps accessible to the blind and visually impaired with its dynamic tactile interface, while the Nagish service enables those who are deaf or hard-of-hearing to communicate over the phone by converting text to speech, and vice versa, in real time. OrCam's is another example of an assistive technology that not only changed the lives of tens of thousands of people worldwide but was also named the Best Invention of 2019 by TIME Magazine.

Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated some of the challenges and obstacles faced by persons with disabilities around the world. Israel sought to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on persons with disabilities by rolling out a series of interventions from rapid and easy access to vaccines and COVID-19 testing to approving the use of transparent masks for persons with hearing impairments. Based on this experience and its strong track record, Israel proudly contributes to shaping an inclusive post-COVID future.

Here in Geneva, Israel is a strong advocate of the rights of persons with disabilities and of the principle “nothing about us, without us”. In particular, we promote their participation and see accessibility as a cross-cutting issue in all the UN organizations and agencies.  At the last World Health Assembly (May 2021), the Assembly adopted an Israeli-led resolution on “the highest attainable standard of health for persons with disabilities”. This resolution was the first proposed on this topic at the WHO since the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and was the first resolution led by the Israeli Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva.

The resolution urges all stakeholders to realize the highest attainable standard of health for persons with disabilities by ensuring access to effective health services as part of universal health coverage; equal protection during health emergencies; and inclusive cross-sectoral public health interventions. As such, the core of the resolution expands the concept of medical care for persons with disabilities from a narrow medical perspective to a holistic social model that puts the person and their rights at the center.

As the world marks International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Israel is proud of its strides to ensure full equality and accessibility for persons with disabilities. Much more needs to be done. We remain committed to the full enjoyment of persons with disabilities’ rights and recognize that their inclusion is key for our development and prosperity.