May 6 - 8, 2002
|
|
Providing Culturally Competent Disability Services
to Persons Born in other Countries May 6 - 8, 2002 |
Disabled immigrants in Israel: Services provided
Naon, D.
Research Program on Disability, Director
JDC-Brookdale Institute of Gerontology and Human Development
Jerusalem, Israel
denisen@jdc.org.il
Abstract
Israel, a country of immigrants from many nations, has absorbed one million immigrants from the former Soviet Union, and approximately 40,000 from Ethiopia in the last decade. The population increased 20%, from five million to six million, in ten years. R ecent immigrants are older, on average, than adult Israelis, and often come from countries where the health system is poorer than Israel's, making the disability rate among immigrants higher than in the general population. Upon arrival, immigrants are ent itled to health insurance, services and disability benefits equivalent to that of indigenous Israelis. However, the trauma of immigration, including a new language and culture and limited personal resources make access to appropriate rehabilitation diffic ult. Other factors include unfamiliarity with the service system and eligibility requirements, being unaware of childhood developmental problems, a shortage of providers who speak the new resident's language and fewer services in areas where they live. Ch allenges and new developments in disability rehabilitation to immigrants will be explored.