Achievements

The clinic took part in drafting a shadow report for the CRPD, which was submitted to the CRPD committee.

Link to the report

• People with Mental Disabilities: The Clinic helps many of its clients to obtain their lawful rights according to the Mental Disability Accommodation Law of 2000.stairs are provided for that purpose.
• Children in Foster Homes: Due to the Clinic's intervention and a successful cooperation on the part of the National Security Institution, a directive was given to grant children with disabilities that live in foster homes full benefits.
• Education: The Clinic helped many children obtain proper education within the frame of special as well as regular education institutions. Due to the Clinic's court appeal, the ministry of education was forced to change its regulations and provide children with physical disabilities with a personal aid. Due to another court appeal, the ministry of education changed its regulations in order to enable children with disabilities to apply for special education throughout the whole year. Also, the Clinic took a crucial part in the "Dorner Committee" for reform in special education and is still helping the relevant NGO's with implementing the committee's resolutions.
• Disability Insurance: The Clinic aids many people and children with disabilities obtain their proper rights and benefits. The Clinic takes significant part in various forums aimed to reform the Israeli welfare law.
• Transportation: A young woman with cerebral palsy who wished to apply for a driver's license was told she must undergo at her own expense a costly psychological evaluation test to confirm her fitness to drive. The Clinic appealed on her behalf to the Road Safety Institute and the Knesset's Public Claims Committee. As a result a decision was taken to review the fees for tests required from people with disabilities, and to reassess the necessity of a psychological examination for people with physical disabilities. Also, as a result of the Clinic's intervention, children with non-physical disabilities such as autism and down-syndrome were provided with disabled parking permits that would help their parents commute with them.

1. Employment: The Clinic provided legal representation on behalf of a social worker denied employment in the Prisons Service because of visual impairment; The Clinic successfully appealed to the Israeli Bar Association in order to enable a person with a severe physical disability to fulfill his right to an accessible internship, which will enable him to practice law. The Clinic helped the father of an autistic child to gain work compensation after leaving his job in order to care for his child. Also, as a result of the Clinic's intervention, a person with a physical and mental disability maintained his employment rights through a period in which his workplace was not accessible.

• Consumerism: The Clinic helped a women with a mental disability diminish her debt to one of the cellular phone companies, a debt that was caused due to her inability to understand the complex terms of the company's contract.

• Health: Due to the Clinic's intervention, the ministry of health provided a young child with CP and severe communication difficulties, with full communication therapy. The Clinic also helped
• an autistic child to obtain full funding for diagnosis he had to go through.

• Housing: The Clinic helped a young person with a cognitive disability who was put in a psycho-geriatric institution, find a proper living place, accommodating his abilities and young age. Also, the Clinic helped a women with a mental disability purchase an apartment through the governmental plan for public housing, even though she has spent a substantial period in the hospital, a fact that initially – according to the regulations - prohibited her from doing so.disabilities that live in foster homes full benefits.

In 2012-13, the Disability Rights Clinic served on average 100 clients per month.

Under the professional supervision of Adv. Roni Rothler and Adv. Iris Finkelstein and the academic supervision of Prof. Gideon Sapir, students in the Disability Rights Clinic work on several levels

• Advising clients and taking legal action on their behalf
• Lobbying for positive change in legislation and in the legal system itself, through appeals to the High Court of Justice and the Knesset
• Conducting research on citizens with disabilities and the legal system
• Drafting letters and appeals to authorities and the courts, gathering information and distributing it to professional organizations and to individuals
• Collaborating with various disability rights organizations and multi-disciplinary committees aiming at implementing disability rights and exploring innovative rights and services.