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Main Sponsors:
Partners:
c h a n g i n g t h e f i e l d
6th International
Conference on Disabilities
Under the auspices of the Trump Institute
In July 2015, 1,000 people from 23 countries converged on Tel Aviv for Beit Issie Shapiro’s
6th International Conference on Disabilities – under the auspices of the Trump Institute for
Continuing Education in Developmental Disabilities – the ONLY conference of its kind in Israel.
The event was a unique opportunity for academic, medical and community professionals,
researchers, policy makers, service providers, people with disabilities, and family members
to meet with colleagues from around the world and take part in the latest state-of-the-art
knowledge, research and practice in the field of disabilities.
By coming together in such a global capacity, and sharing with and learning from each
other, we can truly see how far we have come and work together to pave the path towards
more much-needed change for the future.
ChangeHowYouSee
SeeHowYouChange
This slogan from our friend and partner Rick
Guidotti, founder of Positive Exposure, accompanied
us throughout our International Conference on
Disabilities. Rick celebrates the beauty of physical
and intellectual differences through the art of
photography and was one of our conference keynote
speakers. Guidotti works with people with disabilities
so as “not to see the diagnosis, but to see humanity
and then beauty in that humanity.”
As part of a series of art and cultural events, including
a film festival and talks in Tel Aviv bars, we hosted
Guidotti’s internationally-renowned photo exhibition
in Israel, in which Beit Issie Shapiro’s kids starred
alongside Israeli celebrities with disabilities: Member
of Knesset Karin Elharar and paralympians Pascal
Berkowitz (rowing and hand-cycling) and Noam
Gershoni (wheelchair tennis).
In this way, we also opened our mission to hundreds
of thousands of Israelis, and raised awareness about
children and adults with disabilities and their full
inclusion into society.
Our conference
participants saw a range
of solutions, including:
• a special track designed
by and for people with
intellectual disabilities
• simultaneous sign
language, from speech-
to-sign AND signing-to-
speech
• transportation, facilities
and ease of movement
for wheelchair users
• a PIONEERING
translation project
from English to simple,
accessible language in
Hebrew.
This is all thanks to
the work of several
organizations coming
together. It proves
that shared goals and
collaboration yield
great success...and
accessibility.
How do you make
an international
conference
accessible to all?
What They Said
Erez
MK Karin
Elharar
Pascal
Berkowitz
Avital
Eytan
“It is clear that the efforts
of Beit Issie Shapiro are
crucially important in
letting the world know
that disabilities can be
improved with loving care
and technology, and the
resulting innovations will
help everybody.”
Prof. Michael Levitt, Nobel Prize winner
“The message I received
from attending the Beit
Issie Shapiro conference is
that courage and creative
thinking are important
qualities in creating an
inclusive society.”
Ben Richards, Director, inclusive thru
design, Australia
“Among the outstanding
successes of the conference
was the inclusion of people
with intellectual disabilities as
equal participants. Beit Issie
Shapiro sent a message to the
world that the rights of people
with disabilities are vital to
making the world a better
place for all of us.”
Prof. Michael Stein, Executive Director,
Harvard Law School Project on Disability