United Israel Appeal of Canada works to advance people with disabilities and provide a response to their unique needs. The emphases of our actions have changed according to the changing conditions and needs of this population in Israel, with the focus moving from a more direct assistance to developing institutional and communal services, designing educational and training frameworks, establishing volunteer organizations, building databases, engaging in research and more.

Special emphasis has been placed on developing innovative services for the disabled, cultivating communal support systems, improving accessibility to both services and information and integrating people with disabilities into every sphere of life.

We are strengthening the relationship between stronger and weaker communities through a joint project with the Joint Distribution Committee entitled “Supportive Communities.” Normative families “adopt” disabled individuals and assist them in their day-to-day lives as well during times of emergency and crisis.

Additionally, United Israel Appeal of Canada, in cooperation with the Joint Distribution Committee, works for the sake of the elderly in Israel. In an era of in which the life span of individuals and, in turn, the elderly population is increasing, our goal is to strengthen the elderly in Israel, improve their image and social status and ensure them a good quality of life in their later years. Our target population includes elderly individuals with a range of levels of functioning--those who are independent, disabled, frail, mentally or emotionally feeble--as well as populations of Vulnerable population from the Former Soviet Union and Ethiopia.