No Gas Masks For People With Disabilities
By Dave Reynolds, Inclusion Daily Express
January 2, 2003

TEL AVIV, ISRAEL--As many as 25,000 Israelis with developmental and other
disabilities have no protection from biological or chemical attacks.

According to an article in the independent newspaper Ha'aretz, the Israeli
government has not supplied defense kits with gas masks for people --
including thousands of children -- that have certain disabilities.

People that do not have gas masks are expected to find shelter in "protected
spaces" -- rooms with special filter systems that can be turned on in an
emergency. This could be a particular problem for the estimated 8,000 people
who live in institutions, most of which have no such "protected spaces."

The Home Front Command and the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs
apparently have been aware of the problem for years.

In fact, the official emergency civil defense guidelines released two years
ago state in bold letters: "Do not strap gas masks on people with
developmental disabilities, as they could endanger their lives."

The government has some specially designed kits, but not enough to cover the
need. Even so, it is not distributing the ones that have been produced, nor
is it providing instructions to the families of people with developmental
disabilities.

Related article:
"No suitable gas masks for those with special needs"(Ha'aretz Daily)
http://www.InclusionDaily.com/news/03/red/0102a.htm
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Forwarded to this list by:
Dave Reynolds, Editor
Inclusion Daily Express / Inclusion Weekly Review
Disability Rights Email News Service
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