Israel Elwyn, a network serving those with disabilities, advocated to make public transport more accessible in a new initiative, the organization announced on Monday.
The campaign was launched to commemorate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities and was developed by members of Israel Elwyn's Spokesperson Group—individuals with various disabilities who participate in training to use media and communication tools to advocate for the unique needs of their community.
The initiative aims to make public transportation in Israel more accessible by offering advice on how to assist someone with disabilities as they board buses and trains. “It was particularly important to us for people to understand that public transportation is something that we rely upon heavily,” said initiative participant Shalom Lev.
“The goal of this campaign, in honor of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, is to show the public, and in particular transportation professionals like drivers and supervisors, how to highlight key points when they encounter a person with disabilities on a bus, train or at the station.”
The hashtag #Love_Kav, was created to bring awareness to the campaign as a play on the words Rav Kav, which is Israel’s most prevalent form of payment used on public transportation platforms.
Disability awareness
“As much progress as has been made in bringing respect and awareness to the needs of those with disabilities, our daily experience shows that we still have much more to achieve in creating an inclusive environment and understanding and removing some of the daily challenges with public transportation,” said David Marcu, President of Israel Elwyn.
“The members of our Spokespersons group, founded with support from the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County, realized that a great place to start is with the drivers and inspectors, often the first line of interaction on public transportation, and help them understand the challenges so that all travelers can be treated with greater respect and patience.”
Israel Elwyn's announcement included a few examples of how to assist people with disabilities, among which were making sure the person is not left at the bus stop and is seated safely before leaving the station, offering help to get on or off the bus, making the person aware if there is a change in the route or any regular procedure, speaking clearly and with patience, among other suggestions.