AlManarah - Association for the Advancement of the Blind in the Arab Society in Israel

Due to the school exam period and the end of the academic year, his month AlManarah’s Social Awareness Project conducted 4 workshops in Nazareth and throughout the North at Ebn Khaldon High School, at Salim village near Um-el-Fahm, and at Khalil Gibran School (2), which were facilitated by Jalal Hareesh and by Mohammed Diab.

The workshops, entitled ‘Accept the Different Other’, entailed both theory and practice. The theory section gave general information on the rights of the blind in particular and persons with disabilities in general. It also discussed the negative attitudes and stereotypes held against people with disabilities, and exchanged them for some positive ones. The practical part included activities like using the blind cane, the Braille machine, and other everyday life activities in order to expose participants to the world of the Blind.

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On June 30th, AlManarah organized a special event, held at our Multi-Services Centre in Nazareth to mark the end of our school workshop activities for the year 2009-2010. The event was facilitated by Mr. Muhammed Diab - Social Awareness Program Coordinator, and Mr. Jalal Haresh who worked with Muhammed on the Program; which has expanded its geographical impact, this year reaching not only schools in Nazareth and its surroundings, but numerous towns and villages throughout the Triangle region. The highpoint of the event saw satirist and actor Hisham Sliman entertain everyone with his highly amusing sketches. Adv. Abbass thanked the school students for their cooperation throughout the school year, and he announced that AlManarah is planning to expand the programs’ impact even further to included southern cities to include Bedouin villages in the Negev. In addition, AlManarah is planning to launch a new Trainers Group to increase the staff of the Social Awareness Program.

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Seminars & Lectures:

On June 28th AlManarah participated in a seminar held at the JDC’s Jerusalem offices for DPOs (Disabled People Organizations). The central issue addressed was how to develop relations with international DPOs. The main speaker was Professor Arlene Kantor of Syracuse University College of Law. As Director of the College of Law’s Disability Law and Policy Program and co-director of the Syracuse University Center for Human Policy Law and Disability Studies, she is an international expert in human rights and disability law. Prof. Kantor also facilitated workshops on ways to exchange knowledge and experiences with international DPOs.

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The ‘Empowerment and Developing Skills’ Project:

The ‘Parents Hand to Hand Support Group’ for parents of blind and visually-impaired children has ended its activities and will have a celebratory trip in July.

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The ‘Life Light’ empowerment group, facilitated by social worker Tagrid Abbass, is continuing its weekly meetings.

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AlManarah’s empowerment group in Kfar Kana, the ‘Hope Light’ group had its last meeting on June 30th. AlManarah is planning to continue contact with the Welfare Department in Kfar Kana in order to initiate a second stage for this group.

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Our empowerment group for blind students at Haifa University continues to meet. The group is facilitated by social worker Mahmoud Khatib.

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The empowerment group in Toraan village continues to meet every week. The group is facilitated by Mr. Mohammed Diab, Mr. Mahmoud Khatib, and Adv. Abbass Abbass, and will nurture the participants’ social initiative skills.

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The Phone Assistance Line:

This month the phone assistance line has continued to receive dozens of confidential phone calls every week from the Blind and their parents concerning various issues, such as rights and services, emotional support and legal advice. AlManarah has increased our service hours from ten to twenty hours per week.

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Personal Consultancy:

AlManarah’s personal consultancy project answers the requests for information and advice we receive from the blind and visually-impaired, from their parents, and from professionals working in the field, through face-to-face meetings at our Multi-Services Centre. Social worker Mahmoud Khatib, who has an M.A. in Clinical Social Work, is facilitating this project, which reaches approximately 5 clients per week.

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Legal Advocacy:

On June 23rd Adv. Abbass participated in a meeting of the Advisory Committee to the Commission for Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities in Tel Aviv. The central issue addressed was housing in the community for persons with disabilities. The idea of housing frameworks in the community is based on two principles: that of equality, and the recognition that a community living arrangement is the best alternative for individuals living with disabilities. Adv. Abbass stated that housing in the community for people with disabilities does not exist in the Arab community like in other sectors of society where people live in separate institutions. In the Arab community these people live at home with little support or facilities.

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On June 24th AlManarah was pleased to host the Commissioner for Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities, Mr Ahiya Kamara, at our Multi-Services Centre in Nazareth. Mr Ahiya was extremely impressed with AlManarah’s Multi-Services Centre, which includes a recording studio for producing audio books in Arabic; a Braille & audio library and computer room, which includes specialized computer technology for people with visual disabilities; and our new Educational Kitchen, which will be used to train people with visual disabilities to navigate the kitchen and make hot food and drinks, thus developing essential practical skills. Together we discussed the Commission’s readiness to cooperate with AlManarah, especially since Adv. Abbass Abbass’ appointment as a member of the Advisory Committee to the Commission, which will enable us to work together to address the needs of persons with disabilities in Israel.

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AlManarah continues to represent several blind and visually-impaired people in their appeal against denying their right to receive accompaniment benefits from the Welfare & Social Affairs Ministry.

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AlManarah is currently representing the Visual Disabilities Community regarding the Welfare Ministry’s change in policy in providing mobility grants to the blind and visually-impaired. Without informing its clients, the Ministry has transferred the grants system to the privately-run Center for the Blind in Israel. AlManarah has sent a letter to the Welfare Ministry and The Center for the Blind for clarification on this issue.

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AlManarah’s Website:

Al-Manarah’s website, www.almanarah.org is accessible to the blind and visually-impaired, describes Al-Manarah’s activities, contains an audio library, and also acts as a resource for the general public and professionals working in the field.

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AlManarah’s Recording Studio, Library and Computer Project:

AlManarah’s recording studio is currently producing a CD that includes music and poetry by the winners of our recent awards initiative. In June we recorded some pieces by Soujud Sakar from Kfar Kana.

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AlManarah’s computer room for the blind contains six computers with screen readers in three languages: Arabic, Hebrew and English; screen magnifiers; a screen reader; and two Braille Displays. AlManarah is planning to launch several courses for people with visual disabilities in specialized computer technology.

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AlManarah’s newly refurbished Educational Kitchen at our Multi-Services Centre will soon be used to train people with visual disabilities to navigate the kitchen, and to make hot drinks and meals. This is an unprecedented project that will develop the practical everyday skills of people with visual disabilities.

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Manrat Magazine

AlManarah has agreed to cooperate with the famous Arab journalist Nagi Daher to be main writer and editor of our Manrat magazine, which will be published in early September. AlManarah promises our readers that the coming issue will contain many special articles, especially as it comes after our recent fifth anniversary celebration. Manrat magazine will be published in regular print and Braille, and will be distributed through our workshops and seminars, to local government offices, to schools, colleges, and businesses.

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Special Events

On June 30th Nazareth’s Lions Club held an evening event held in honor of Adv. Abbass’ selection as the Man of the Year for his social activism within the Arab community in general and people with visual disabilities in particular. The Lions Club is an international organization that includes 1.3 million members worldwide who volunteer in their communities to address local humanitarian issues. Adv. Abbass thanked the Lions for their section, saying that this award increases his responsibility to continue working harder than ever to advance the rights of people with visual disabilities in Israel and beyond.

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