The Equal Rights Commission for People with Disabilities at the Ministry of Justice imposed a financial sanction of over 40,000 NIS on the Merhavim Regional Council, following a violation of the accessibility obligation at the regional comprehensive school it owns.
The school accessibility obligation has applied to the authority since 2018, in accordance with an accessibility order issued by the Commission by virtue of regulations and the law.
Despite orders, inspections, warnings and extensions issued over the years, the local authority did not complete the construction of the elevator shaft as required.
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The Commission rejected the authority's claims regarding alleged delays due to the 'Iron Swords' war, after it was found that the violation had existed for many years before the war, and that even after the accessibility orders were issued, no substantial steps were taken by the Regional Council to correct the deficiencies.
The Commission for Equal Rights for People with Disabilities emphasizes that educational institutions that do not comply with accessibility regulations prevent students with disabilities from exercising their basic right to an equal and inclusive education.
The Commission will continue to take all legal measures at its disposal to ensure that all educational institutions in the State of Israel are accessible, without exception.
Commissioner for Equal Rights for People with Disabilities at the Ministry of Justice, Dan Rashel: "Accessibility is not a luxury. It is a basic and legal right. Especially in educational institutions, there is no room for compromise, and the commission will not allow authorities to evade their duties.""
The Commission for Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities operates pursuant to the Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities Law, 1998, and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, to which the State of Israel is a signatory.
There are currently about 1.7 million people with disabilities living in Israel, representing about 181% of the population. Of these, about 100,000 were added following the "Iron Swords" War."
