Justice Richard Bernstein became the first blind justice, elected by voters statewide, to the Michigan Supreme Court in November 2014. Prior to being elected to Michigan’s highest court, Justice Bernstein was known as a tireless advocate for disabled rights as an attorney in Metro Detroit. Blind since birth, Justice Bernstein is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Michigan and earned his Juris Doctorate from Northwestern University School of Law.

Richard spoke about the progress Israel has made in providing equal rights to Individuals with special needs and how countries throughout Europe are looking to Israel as a model. In addition, Richard shared how Israel is a leader in the UN in consulting with countries regarding accessibility.

Ron Gerstenfeld, a representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcome trip participants on behalf of the Government of Israel. Ron spoke about Israel’s growth in the world economy and the impact of Israel’s innovations. Ron shared about how Israel is a leader in disaster relief and has been the first country to help in the Haiti and Nepal earthquakes and dozens of other natural disasters.

The Commission for Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities in Israel prevents discrimination and promotes the integration of persons with disabilities into Israeli society, as citizens with equal rights and responsibilities in all areas of life. Among those are employment, housing, education, public transportation, services from businesses and public authorities, social security, culture, and leisure. Eran shared about the Justice Ministry’s efforts to achieve those goals.

Lieutenant-Colonel Yuval Wagner, an Israeli Air Force combat pilot, founded Access Israel in 1999. Yuval talked about the work that Access Israel does and it’s multiple roles in Israel and in international forums. Yuval shared how, despite limited resources, they have now become the leading accessibility advocate in Israel.

Benjy is the Director of Global Resource Development at Beit Issie Shapiro and talked about Beit Issie Shapiro’s mission. Beit Issie Shapiro is Israel’s leading developer and provider of innovative therapies and state-of-the-art services for children and adults across the entire range of disabilities impacting on over half a million people annually. Beit Issie Shapiro is also a special consultant to the United Nations.

Participants took a tour of Palmachim Air Force base and received an up-close view of some the drones used to protect Israel.

Special in Uniform is a unique program, operating in partnership with Jewish National Fund (JNF). It integrates young people with autism and other disabilities into the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and, in turn, into Israeli society.

Lieutenant-Colonel Yuval Wagner, an Israeli Air Force combat pilot, founded Access Israel in 1999. In 1987 he was injured in a helicopter crash, which left him a quadriplegic and confined to a wheelchair. As a person with disabilities and a father of three, Wagner realized that Israel was inaccessible to the disabled community, limiting their ability to lead independent and dignified lives. He decided to take action by establishing Access Israel with the help of friends and business colleagues.

In 2006, during the second Lebanon war, Noam, an Apache helicopter pilot was critically injured in a helicopter collision over Israel’s northern border. Despite months of grueling rehabilitation, he triumphed and discovered his love for tennis. he went on to win Israel’s first gold medal in the 2012 London Paralympic Games in quad singles wheelchair tennis.

The innovative ALEH Negev-Nahalat Eran Rehabilitation Village, located in Israel’s southern region, is a multifaceted facility that provides young adults with multiple disabilities the opportunity to live a rich and productive life within a safe environment.

Richard Spoke about the challenges facing individuals with a disability and what it takes to overcome them. He shared personal stories about his challenges along the way and what has inspired him throughout his life.

Feast of the Senses, a multi-course dinner that aims to illustrate what it’s like to dine as a person with disabilities. The meal, takes the diner through three courses, with the guest “lacking” a certain sense during each course.

Pascale Bercovitch is an Athlete, Journalist, Media Professional and Motivational Speaker. In 1984, at age 17, she slipped and fell under a train, causing the amputation of both legs above the knee. She took up swimming as part of her rehabilitation and was invited to join the Israeli national team with the main goal of competing at the 1992 Paralympic Games in Barcelona. She finished eighth in rowing at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing and sixth in hand cycling at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London. For nearly the next two decades, she worked as a journalist and documentary maker, producing ‘Three-Hundredths of a Second’, an award-winning film on the 2000 Israeli Paralympic delegation.

Tali Sarnetzky was born sighted, but became blind at age three due to cancer. She studied English Literature in Israel and America. During this period, she mentored younger blind students. For years, she dreamed of becoming an English professor. After her mother died of cancer in 2009, Tali changed her plans and decided she wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. These days, she focuses on a career as a motivational speaker and author, as well as a coach. Her goal in life is to empower people to be the best they can, share her positive outlook, and show people that humor is a crucial tool for survival.

Yehonatan is a proud deaf guy who was born deaf. Yehonatan talks about his life being deaf and his work as a project manager for Pay It Forward in Signs. Pay it Forward in Signs is a social, volunteer-based project that is meant to raise awareness and bridge the two populations in Israel.

The Dror Program is an educational program at Tel Aviv University that provides specialized schooling and vocational training to young adults with high-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). A panel of parents, students and university staff shared their experiences with the Dror Program from their perspectives.

Gideon serves as the Executive Director of International Partnerships at the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. He plays a lead role in developing programs and partnerships for vulnerable populations in Israel and across the globe, including Ethiopia, Rwanda and most recently Haiti and Nepal. Gideon discussed the JDC’s work around the world as well as their work in Israel called Israel-Unlimited. Israel-Unlimited was established as a partnership between JDC Israel, the Israeli government, the Ruderman Family Foundation and other partners, as a leading developer of services and programs for people with disabilities in Israel.

Participants made a visit to a local school to learn about some of the challenges Israel faces with inclusion in the school system. Participants learned about the approaches taken and compared and contrasted it to schools in the United States.

Liat serves as part of the accessibility and inclusion team at the Ministry of Education. Liat spoke about about Israel’s challenges, successes and innovation in special education.

Michal is the CEO of Access Israel. Michal spoke about inclusion in Israel’s education system and new government legislation that is focused on creating a successful inclusion program.

On the Weizmann Institute campus in Rehovot, Israel, around 3,800 scientists, graduate students, highly skilled research technicians, and the staff who support them come to work every day with the goal of solving the most challenging problems facing humankind: climate change, world hunger and malnutrition, cancer and other diseases, safety and security, to name just a few.

Irit gave an in-depth overview on some of here research with enzymes, Fragile X Syndrome and Autism. Her talk titled: “Understanding Autism: molecular mechanisms and Development of Novel Therapeutic Agents” focused on her recent work from her lab that has revealed exciting molecular mechanisms governing protease, MMP-9, functions that hold the exciting prospect of finding a therapy method that can actually work for FXS and has the potential to progress in clinical trials in the field of Autism therapy.

Dr Sobel shared a talk focusing on autism and smells. While Autism typically involves the inability to read social cues. We most often associate this with visual difficulty in interpreting facial expression. But new research at the Weizmann institute of Science suggests that the sense of smell may also play a central role in autism. The research shows that people on the autism spectrum have different – and even opposite – reactions to odors produced by the human body.”

Established in 1974 by parents of children with autism, today ALUT is Israel’s predominant resource for families coping with autism and pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). Its $30 million annual operating budget, 1,400 person staff and a network of 400 volunteers allows ALUT to offer a comprehensive array of services.Naama spoke about Alut’s advocy efforts and work to provide more funding, support and respite to families with a child with autism.

After many erroneous diagnoses, Nir was diagnosed with autism at the age of 17. In this presentation, Nir spoke about his challenges and triumphs in the classroom and at work and how he has learned to help others in similar situations.

Orit is the head of social work service and responsible for integrating employees with disabilities. Orit spoke about the Weizmann Institute’s efforts to make their campus more accessible and its efforts to include more researchers with disabilities.

Participants learned about the history of Colel Chabad and took a tour of a state of the art residence and therapy center for those with severe neurological impairments. The center features a state of the art music therapy room, art room, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and cognitive therapy room. The residents also take part in specialized holistic and horticultural garden therapy.

Levi spoke about the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Approach to individuals with special needs. The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson of blessed memory is the inspiration behind Friendship Circle. The Rebbe’s unconditional love to people knew no bounds.

It is his belief that none of us is complete unless all of us are included. Levi shared some stories about the Rebbe’s interactions with individuals with special needs as well as interactions with disability related specialists.

Participants took an accessible tour of the Tower of David and learned about the history of the tower and the challenges of making this Jerusalem icon accessible.

Rose shared about the Tower of David’s efforts to make this icon more accessible and how they provide activities to individuals with autism and other special needs.

Alan was injured in January of 1988, after being hit by a wave while on vacation in Martinique, causing him to break his C5-C6 vertebra, but nothing has stopped him from living his life to the fullest. Alan shared his story and inspiration that pushed him to help others with disabilities.

Yoram Danziger was a Justice of the Supreme Court of Israel who served on the Court from 2007 to 2018. Over the course of his career, he was active in protecting the rights of individuals with disabilities. Yoram was also a board member of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel. In his talk, Yoram shared about his work on the Judiciary and the challenges it currently faces.

The tour of the Knesset, home of the Israeli Parliament provided a close-up look at its ongoing work on making the Knesset accessible for members of the Knesset, it’s employees and visitors. This tour also introduced participants to the nature of Israeli democracy, to the Knesset’s roles and responsibilities, and to the works of art displayed throughout the building.

Dan is responsible for all accessibility initiatives in the Knesset. He spoke about the Knesset’s advances in accessibility making it an international model for ease of access for its employees and visitors to the Knesset.

Making Israel’s tourist sites accessible has been a monumental challenge. Protected sites, narrow passageways, and rolling terrain have made it difficult to provide access. A representative from Israel’s Social Services division will share its work on making tourists sites accessible and its future plans to make every attraction in Israel accessible.

Exceptional Israel participants visited Shalvah an organization that provides programs and services to over 1,000+ children with a wide array of disabilities. Participants received a tour of the brand new, cutting-edge facility and equipment. The tour included a visit to the Semi-Olympic and Hydrotherapy pools, Café Shalva run by program graduates, 400 seat auditorium with unprecedented wheelchair access and live assistance for the blind and deaf, 6 acres of parks and a double-decker playground fit for kids and grownups of all abilities, countless classrooms and therapy spaces outfitted with the most effective equipment available, and more!

Karin Elharar Hartstein is an Israeli lawyer and politician who currently serves as a member of the Knesset. Due to her muscular dystrophy, she uses a Wheelchair to navigate the Knesset chambers. Karine spoke about her efforts to make Israel more inclusive and the benefits individuals with disabilities bring to society.

OrCam’s mission is to harness the power of artificial vision by incorporating pioneering technology into a wearable platform which improves the lives of individuals who are blind, visually impaired, and have reading difficulties. OrCam was jointly founded in 2010 by Prof. Amnon Shashua and Mr. Ziv Aviram, who are also the co-founders of Mobileye, the collision avoidance system leader, and autonomous driving innovator.

Equal Web is the world`s #1 leading solution for making your website and all your digital content accessible in 3 easy steps. Insert the script and Equal Web takes care of the rest. Equal Web provides equal access and equal opportunities to people with disabilities. Equal Web makes your web site and digital content accessible in one click.

FREEWill provides wheelchair users with independent mobility while carrying additional things. The modern wheelchair seems to create an independent daily life for the users, but the moment they have to use their hands for carrying bags, groceries, suitcases or pushing a baby stroller it ceases to be a single user-friendly item. Their first product to the market is the Easy Stroll Universal Connector. Easy Stroll is a simple and fast connection device between a wheelchair and a baby stroller.

Step-Hear®is a simple to use, way-finding, orientation and audio messaging system. When a blind or visually impaired person is walking in range of the Step-Hear®Base Unit, the Activator he is carrying will start to vibrate and beep. By pressing the button on the Activator, the Step-Hear ™ Base Unit will be triggered and an audio message will start to play, guiding the blind or visually impaired person accurately to the entrance of the premises and offering additional way-finding information to the different services available on the premises.

RenewSenses enables people with visual impairment to know which objects are around them; where they are located; and also have a new form of perceptual experience of their visual elements, through a new sensory language composed of musical notes and speech.

Andi UA provides an accessible solution to for websites using international standard requirements. It was built based on a global perspective and even now, supports a range of languages while offering a basis of solutions for end users who are not necessarily people with disabilities. Andi, Is a figure from the virtual world with the goal of making the complex web become simple. Andi began with a small collection of features and code and has since evolved and grown to make websites fully accessible and provide solutions for anyone requiring its assistance.

Founded by Jon Medved, OurCrowd is an equity crowdfunding platform that allows accredited investors to invest in pre-vetted startups alongside trusted venture capital investors and angel investors.

AngelSense is a next generation analytic-based GPS and Voice monitoring solution designed for children with special needs. AngelSense grew out of a mission to create a safer world for children with special needs who tend to wander, get lost, and experience improper care. As a result, cutting-edge technology was developed to bring you the most accurate GPS tracking and monitoring solution. With AngelSense, you can assure that your loved ones are safe and secure at all times. AngelSense provides parents of children with special needs visibility into the child’s daily activities and well-being while under the care of others.

HIL Applied Medical is developing a new class of ultra-compact, high-performance proton therapy systems. They apply a patented approach to particle acceleration and beam delivery, combining nano-technology with ultra-high-intensity lasers and advanced magnetics. These technological breakthroughs enable meaningful reduction in the size, complexity and cost of proton therapy systems, without compromising clinical utility. HIL aims to enable, for the first time, a single-room add-on proton therapy solution that is truly cost-effective.

accessibleGO is the only full-service accessible travel platform providing search, reviews, and bookings of accessible hotels, cruises, transport and destinations worldwide. With timely insights, comprehensive resources, and a dynamic traveler community, accessibleGO is quickly becoming the number one travel resource for planning accessible trips.

The Feuerstein Institute is an international education, treatment and research center, under the chairmanship of Rabbi Rafi Feuerstein. The Feuerstein Institute helps children and adults from all backgrounds, religions and etiologies overcome cognitive, emotional, psychological and social disabilities and maximize their potential, with a view toward integration to the greatest possible extent. Rabbi Rafi spoke about his groundbreaking learning method which is used in educational settings and clinical practice. He also focused on the importance of pushing individuals to overcome obstacles in learning and how crucial it is to say, “I Love You, Therefore I will not accept you for who you are.”

ALYN Hospital is Israel’s only pediatric and adolescent rehabilitation facility. ALYN treats children with a wide range of congenital and acquired conditions, including cerebral palsy, neuromuscular diseases, spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, burns, terror and motor vehicle accident victims. Participants received a tour of the hospital and learned how Alyn uses creative techniques from their innovation lab to provide solutions for individuals with disabilities.

Psagot Winery was the perfect location to host the Exceptional Israel closing session. Psagot Wine is aged in a special cave containing winemaking implements that date to at least the time of the Second Temple. The combination of ancient tradition and sophisticated technology adds to the allure and mystique of this boutique winemaker. Participants each had a chance to share their takeaways, inspirations and ideas that can be implemented in their respective communities.