Opinion

Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month (JDAIM)

On building a more inclusive society

Disability can become part of anyone’s life experience at any time.

February is Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month. Credit: Courtesy of Beit Issie Shapiro.
February is Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month. Credit: Courtesy of Beit Issie Shapiro.
Benny Hozmi. Credit: Courtesy.
Benny Hozmi
Benny Hozmi is the academic and knowledge resource director at Beit Issie Shapiro, a pioneering organization that has worked for 45 years to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities in Israel. He founded Beit Issie’s Inclusive University and is the author of Identity of Capability and the editor of the journal Disability & Society: Research & Practice.

Individuals with disabilities—whether physical, cognitive, sensory or psychological—face societal challenges that extend beyond their own limitations—from workplace discrimination and inadequate accessibility to social stigma and patronizing treatment.

These barriers are often rooted in “ableism:” the discriminatory belief that people with disabilities have lesser abilities.

People with disabilities have different abilities. As former Knesset member Shai Piron says, “Some people’s challenges can be seen from the outside. That doesn’t mean they have more or less than you and I.”

These harmful attitudes don’t just create external obstacles; they can become internalized, leading individuals with disabilities to absorb society’s negative perceptions. The result is low self-esteem, isolation and a lack of courage to advocate for oneself, creating a cycle that reinforces the very barriers they face.

Breaking this cycle requires decisive action. True participation of people with disabilities requires more than just awareness on our part.

We must fundamentally shift how we think, behave and act as a society. While we have made progress in recent decades, significant barriers still exist that prevent the full participation and acceptance of individuals with disabilities in our communities, workplaces, and social spaces.

February is “JDAIM,” Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month. It’s the perfect time for us to commit to improving this issue as a society.

Here are five essential steps to promote genuine inclusiveness and sensitivity:

  • Revolutionize education. We can create truly inclusive environments where all students can thrive. This means training educators in specific teaching methods; promoting positive interactions between students with and without disabilities; and ensuring that children with disabilities have opportunities to develop their talents and leadership skills. Schools should facilitate connections between students with disabilities and peers who share similar experiences, helping build strong support networks and positive identity development.
  • Challenge stereotypes and social stigma. We can each speak up against ableist language and discriminatory behavior. We can also celebrate and amplify the voices and achievements of people with disabilities in media, leadership and public life. We can each encourage our community organizations to create programs that focus on building confidence, developing skills and fostering a positive self-image based on every individual’s strengths and abilities.
  • Reimagine accessibility as a fundamental right rather than an afterthought. Include individuals with disabilities to proactively consult with medical facilities, businesses and public spaces. Incorporate universal design principles, as well as their input, into all new developments and recognize that accessible spaces benefit everyone in society.
  • Transform the workplace to embrace genuine diversity. Companies often hide behind superficial justifications for not hiring qualified candidates with disabilities, thus depriving businesses of talented individuals who bring unique perspectives and skills to the workplace. We can each encourage our own place of business to recruit from this talented pool of professionals while implementing comprehensive disability inclusion programs and making necessary accommodations.
  • Promote authentic representation and self-advocacy. We can all commit to actively trying to include people with disabilities in decision-making roles on policies and programs that affect their lives in all aspects of our professional and social lives. When we create true partnerships between organizations and individuals with disabilities without paternalistic approaches, we foster true self-advocacy and enable services to be more accurate for their clients.

Disability is an inherent part of human diversity that touches all communities. It can also become part of anyone’s life experience at any time. By creating a more inclusive and accepting environment, we will build a society that better serves those in a lifetime of need.

True inclusion isn’t just about charity or compliance. It means recognizing and valuing human dignity, potential and the fundamental right of all individuals to participate fully in their communities and society as a whole. When we make room to include challenges others have that we “see on the outside” we empower ourselves and everyone else to work with the challenges that are just as present in the rest of us, but perhaps are simply less seen.

The opinions and facts presented in this article are those of the author, and neither JNS nor its partners assume any responsibility for them.
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