BIS Summer 2019 Impact Report - Final

DEAR FRIENDS Over 1 billion people, or 15% of the world’s population, live with disability. Many of the barriers they face, that force them to the margins of society, can actually be overcome. Guided by our vision of an inclusive society, this is the challenge that motivates us daily at Beit Issie Shapiro. As we look towards our 40th anniversary in 2020, we reflect on some of the impact we have had. In Israel, we established the first early intervention center, now there are 130. We opened the first hydrotherapy pool, now there are 140. We introduced the first multi-sensory Snoezelen room, now there are 400. We led the change of nine laws and regulations, affecting 410,000 people across Israel. Thousands of students graduated our Trump International Training Institute. Globally, we shared our innovations in 30 countries including the USA, Canada, UK, South Africa and China. As you will read in this report, we are proud of this past year’s breakthroughs, particularly our new emotional therapy center to support toddlers and their families, our new leadership program empowering people with disabilities to advocate for their rights, and our new partnership with Florida International University who selected Beit Issie Shapiro as consultants after an extensive global search. We look forward with tremendous excitement towards the future. We welcome our new Executive Director, Ahmir Lerner, who brings with him a passion for innovative social change and an outstanding breadth of managerial experience. We are certain that Ahmir will lead Beit Issie Shapiro to great heights. We thank Jean Judes, our Executive Director, who is retiring after 26 years with Beit Issie Shapiro. Through Jean’s vision, commitment, and entrepreneurial spirit, she cemented our status as a leading social change organization and led Beit Issie Shapiro proudly onto the world stage. Most importantly, we thank you, our partners in Israel and around the world, for joining our mission to create a more inclusive and equal world. Sasha Trump-Weiss Chair of the Board Jean Judes Executive Director Naomi Stuchiner Founder