The Hadera Magistrate's Court ruled in a lawsuit filed by the Equality Commission for People with Disabilities at the Ministry of Justice that the Harish Municipality will compensate a student in the amount of 35,000 NIS.
The court gave effect to a judgment for a compromise agreement between the parties, within the framework of which the compensation was determined.
The procedure was initiated in August 2023, following a complaint filed by the student's mother, according to which the municipality failed to fulfill its obligation to make accessibility adjustments at the Rona Ramon School in the city - shading in the school yard, even though a request for this was submitted to the local authority already in 2021. The lack of shading prevented the student from using the yard space and impaired her ability to participate in educational and social activities.
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Despite repeated requests and warning letters sent to the municipality, accessibility was only completed at the end of 2024. As a result, the commission filed a lawsuit on behalf of the student.
Only after the lawsuit was filed did the municipality announce that it had completed the accessibility process and submitted confirmation to the commission.
As mentioned, within the framework of the agreement that received the force of a judgment, it was determined that the municipality would compensate the student.
The Commission for Equal Rights for People with Disabilities stated: "The ruling serves as a reminder to authorities and public bodies that the accessibility obligation is a legal and immediate obligation. The Commission will not tolerate delays in making accessibility adjustments, and will also act against institutions that made the adjustments late, and not just against those that did not make them at all.".
""The Commission will act decisively and take all legal measures at its disposal to ensure the right of students with disabilities to an equal and inclusive education.".
The Commission for Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities operates under the Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities Law 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 have been added since the beginning of the 'Iron Swords' War.
