Adults and children with disabilities have diverse and varied needs that are influenced by the type of disability and their life circumstances. The current war has presented additional challenges for people with disabilities, who are a group that must cope with numerous barriers even in normal times.
To provide appropriate and adequate responses for people with disabilities in times of emergency, it is essential to understand their needs and the unique challenges they face during these periods. This requires preparedness for emergencies by setting guidelines in advance and preparing for the people with disabilities themselves, their environment, service providers, and essential government services.
Below, we present data on people with disabilities in Israel and their needs during emergencies, based on a study conducted by the Myers-Joint-Brookdale Institute at the end of 2023, as well as information about the services provided since the beginning of the war.
Among the key findings from the study: In 2022, there were approximately 1,254,000 people recognized as persons with disabilities in Israel. Of these, about 290,000 were children, approximately 483,000 were working-age adults (18 to 64 years old), and around 480,900 were over the age of 65. People with disabilities recognized by government ministries made up 13% of the total population in Israel in 2022. These individuals are recognized as people with disabilities by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Security, and/or the National Insurance Institute, and/or the Ministry of Defense, and/or the Ministry of Education.
As of November 2023, among all individuals with disabilities recognized by the state, 171,012 people were recognized by the Disabilities Administration of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Security. Of these, 56,687 were children, 90,115 were aged 19 to 67, and 23,415 were over the age of 67. Among them, 66,914 people (39% of all those recognized) benefited from services provided by the Disabilities Administration.
Based on data extracted from self-reports from national survey respondents, the estimated number of people with disabilities in Israel is around 1.7 million, including about 338,300 children, 817,900 working-age adults, and approximately 529,200 people over the age of 65 (Nager Edelman, 2022). According to self-reporting, people with disabilities made up 18% of the total population in Israel in 2021. This percentage is higher than the number of people recognized by the state, as it also includes individuals who have not been officially recognized (such as those who do not qualify for general disability benefits because their income exceeds 7,122 NIS, or those whose disability percentage is below the minimum required for receiving benefits, or those who, for various reasons, do not wish to be officially recognized).
Evacuated People with Disabilities During the War The population was evacuated from Gaza border settlements and northern frontline settlements according to government decision. From the beginning of the war (October 7, 2023) until mid-November 2023, approximately 70,000 people were evacuated from Gaza border settlements, and about 60,000 people were evacuated from northern frontline settlements. The residents of Ashkelon were also given the opportunity to leave the city during a period of calm (although the exact number of evacuees from the city, which has a population of about 150,000, is unknown). However, it is unclear how many of these evacuees were people with disabilities.
Northern Frontline Settlements
Total number of evacuees: approximately 60,000
- Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Security
Recognized by the Disabilities Administration: 2,799
Receiving services: 1,189 - Ministry of Health
Beneficiaries of rehabilitation basket: 283 - Ministry of Education
Students in special education: 2,026 students
Gaza Border Settlements
Total number of evacuees: approximately 70,000
- Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Security
Recognized by the Disabilities Administration: 1,539
Receiving services: 723 - Ministry of Health
Beneficiaries of rehabilitation basket: 278 - Ministry of Education
Students in special education: 2,655 students
According to data from the Ministry of Health, as of October 2023, the number of people experiencing psychological disorders and using rehabilitation services in Gaza border settlements was 278 (including 141 in Sderot), and 283 people in northern frontline settlements (including 175 in Kiryat Shmona).
Arab Citizens with Disabilities
As of 2022, there were 204,700 Arab citizens registered in the Central Bureau of Statistics disability registry as persons with disabilities recognized by the state. Although the percentage of Arabs with disabilities is lower than that of Jews with disabilities (9.4% versus 10.9%, respectively), data from the registry suggests that the percentage of Arabs recognized as having physical, intellectual, developmental, or sensory disabilities is higher than that of Jews with these types of disabilities. On the other hand, the percentage of Arabs recognized on the autism spectrum or with psychological disabilities is lower than that of Jews with these disabilities.
For children specifically, data from the Ministry of Education indicates that the percentage of Arab students studying in special education in 2022 was lower than the percentage of Jewish students (10% versus 12.3%, respectively).
A national study on children with disabilities in Israel (Bar-Lev, 2021), based on self-reports from parents, found that the percentage of Arab children with disabilities was lower than that of Jewish children with disabilities, though the gap was smaller (10.2% versus 11.0%, respectively). Similar to the registry data, this research also showed higher percentages of children with “visible” disabilities (physical, sensory, or intellectual) and lower percentages of children with “invisible” disabilities (learning difficulties, psychological problems, developmental delays).
Note: The lower percentage of individuals and children with “invisible” disabilities in the Arab community may indicate a lack of identification of these disabilities within this population (Bar-Lev, 2021). Individuals and children with disabilities who are not identified are not recognized by service providers, and thus do not receive support or treatment, which may lead to further deterioration of their condition. This is true in normal times, but during emergencies, the deterioration may be more severe.
The Arab community suffers from a lack of physical protection: the absence of reinforced shelters in many homes built before 1992, a shortage of public shelters, and inadequate protection for vital buildings such as clinics. Additionally, most Arab communities lack emergency medical centers, as well as emergency and relief services such as firefighting services and police stations (Abu Asbah, 2013; Levy, 2021). The “Home Front Command” offers solutions for reinforcing rooms in homes without shelters, but information about this does not always reach the residents, and there is no organized survey on the issue. The lack of protection creates difficulties, especially for people with disabilities in the Arab community, as the percentage of individuals with physical and sensory disabilities, which are often associated with mobility challenges, is higher in this community compared to the Jewish community. This poses a real challenge when evacuating them to shelter locations in emergencies.
Note: Many emergency service centers and websites are not available in Arabic. Even in normal times, the Arab community generally consumes fewer internet-based services, such as digital government services, due to several reasons, including lower levels of digital literacy compared to the Jewish community, as well as language barriers. These two factors create obstacles for people with disabilities in the Arab community in accessing basic information through the internet during both emergency and regular times (State Comptroller’s Office, 2023).
Note: The state of emergency in security-related situations tends to escalate tensions between the Arab and Jewish communities in Israel, which may lead to people with disabilities in the Arab community refraining from using essential healthcare services for fear of receiving these services in Jewish-populated areas (Home Front Command and Civil Society Forum, discussion on 28.11.23).
The war and the events of October 7th have had severe impacts on people with disabilities, presenting significant challenges for them, their families, service providers, and policymakers. Government agencies providing services to people with disabilities responded quickly to meet the new and changing needs. It is important to highlight the swift, essential, and significant response provided by many third-sector organizations in the field of disability, which immediately engaged in fast-paced efforts to find solutions and responses that were accessible and aligned with the diverse disabilities and needs of people across the country, and in some cases, even before official solutions were created.
People with disabilities generally have fewer personal, psychological, and economic resources than non-disabled individuals (Nager Edelman, 2022). As a result, not everyone has the ability to identify the appropriate agency to approach for assistance. Most organizations provided help to those who reached out to them, but there is a need for proactive identification of people with disabilities and the exploration of their needs. It should also be noted that not all people with disabilities are officially recognized by the state, and therefore, there is a need to develop an identification mechanism that allows for reaching individuals who are not recognized by official bodies in emergency situations.
It is important to remember that the needs arising from the war have been added to the unique needs of people with disabilities in normal times. Therefore, there is a need for special preparedness that can provide an appropriate response to these complexities.
