About
About Purple Vest
The Purple Vest Mission is an initiative which promotes accessibility preparedness in times of emergency for people with disabilities and the elderly. The Purple Vest Mission was initiated on March 2022 by Access Israel who is the leading organization in Israel promoting accessibility and inclusion for all types of disabilities in all areas of life. As leaders of accessibility and inclusion in Israel, Access Israel is very experienced and active in shaping the preparedness of Israel in times of emergency making sure people with disabilities and elderly are not left behind. Access Israel led round tables with stakeholders to understand challenges, needs and possible solutions and conducted training various stakeholders for preparedness in time of emergency and with being part of the advanced legislation process resulting in regulations on preparedness in times of emergency.
When the war broke in Ukraine, Access Israel understood the need to focus on making sure solutions on the ground fit those most vulnerable – the elderly and those with disabilities. The requests for help started to come, calling for help for specific and unique needs for people with disabilities. Access Israel immediately understood that people with disabilities and the elderly are left behind and are not evacuated because the complexity of arranging accessible evacuation and because of lack of available information on this subject.
Access Israel immediately decided to initiate the “Purple Vest Mission” – Our overall long-term goal is to create contingency plans for people with disabilities and the elderly globally, to ensure preparedness and a plan for times of emergency. Purple Vest mission is focused on people with disabilities and the elderly and their families.
Why Purple Vest?
The idea behind the purple vest itself is that when people with disabilities and the elderly see a person wearing a purple vest (with the color purple which is identified with rights for people with disabilities) they will know that this person was trained and has the tools to provide assistance in an accessible way.
Purple Vest work includes
Purple Vest training
we provide customized training for organizations, municipality and governmental representatives and individuals on how to provide emergency services – evacuations, humanitarian aid, information and more – in an accessible way.
Accessible Evacuation
- We work with forces on the ground to encourage and provide tools for a quick response to assist with accessible rescue operations, throughout the sequence of evacuations from home to safety.
Home Assistance
Purple Vest takes into account those choosing to stay behind, training those providing humanitarian aid so they will do so in an accessible way.
Information
We offer information for people with disabilities and the elderly in emergency areas. For volunteer partners, we provide information, training, and connections, enabling you to assist effectively in times of emergency.
In April 2022, we received a generous donation from The Nippon Foundation from Japan and other donors, enabling us to provide and fund accessible complex evacuations, provide supplies, contacts and other information for people with disabilities and elderly in Ukraine and raise awareness and conduct trainings both virtual and face-to-face to volunteers and organizations operating in and around Ukraine to provide tools on making the efforts they provide during these difficult times more accessible and fitting for people with disabilities and the elderly.
In December 2022 we received the support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in israel and continuous support of Accessibility Accelerator from the USA enabling us to continue the efforts of making sure people with disabilities and elderly are considered and part of preparing for times of emergency, focusing on awareness, information, training and continuing to connect the dots between those operating on the ground making sure people with disabilities and elderly are not left behind.
The Purple Vest Mission listens to needs on the ground, identifies all available resources, and connects the dots to facilitate improved experiences for people with disabilities.
Our Mission - Ukraine 2022
On December 3, 2021, hundreds of buildings and monuments around the world lit up with purple lights in recognition of International Day of People with Disabilities, with the call to Leave No One Behind.
Less than three months later the war in Ukraine hit us all by surprise. In Ukraine, many people with disabilities and the elderly found themselves facing even more challenges than their fellow citizens due to the lack of accessible solutions in the evacuation process.
Many potential evacuees were concerned that there would be no accessible assistance end-to-end across the escape route, and so they opted to remain behind.
With the outbreak of the war in Ukraine and receiving many in calls from the organizations operating in the battlefield and members of the refugee families, we realized that there are many organizations and individuals who saw the need and want to help Ukrainian Refugees in general and specifically those with disabilities and the elderly. However, in many cases these representatives on the ground understood they need more specific guidance and understanding what it means to be part of an accessible evacuation, in addition, we understood the importance of creating a sequence of connected organizations that with good communication and a systematic approach can together ensure we keep a sequence of accessibility throughout the evacuation process. Finally, we understood the need from the ground to put a spotlight and publish to all the accessible solutions possible through this mission. In addition, we understand that “Leaving No One Behind” also means to respect the choice of those choosing to stay behind and yet we still cannot leave them behind but rather – assist as much as we can with supplies of food, medicine, hygiene products and companionship. The Purple Vest Mission, was supported by the Nippon Foundation from April 2022-December 2022 enabling the support of volunteers and organizations on the ground by training and funding accessible evacuation efforts and providing supplies and supporting key operatives in Ukraine. After a period of 8 months we were able to evacuate 4,000 people with disabilities, elderly and their families and assist over 10,000 people with humanitarian aid specifically aimed at people with disabilities and the elderly
Our mission is to address these gaps. People with disabilities that choose to evacuate should have the confidence of an accessible end-to-end experience. For those that choose not to evacuate, there should be provisions of whatever accessibility supports that they need to remain in place provided in an accessible way.
Less than three months later the war in Ukraine hit us all by surprise. In Ukraine, many people with disabilities and the elderly found themselves facing even more challenges than their fellow citizens due to the lack of accessible solutions in the evacuation process.
Many potential evacuees were concerned that there would be no accessible assistance end-to-end across the escape route, and so they opted to remain behind.
Our Mission - Israel 2023
On October 7, 2023, the Iron Swords war erupted between Israel and Hamas . In swift response to the emergency, thanks to expertise from our experience in Ukraine, our Purple Vest Mission was operational within 90 minutes of the atrocities of October 7.
The mission: to provide crucial support to people with disabilities, the elderly, and their families in regions affected by missile attacks.
Addressing the challenges posed by the war, including difficulties reaching protected areas, heightened stress, individuals for whom protected spaces are inaccessible, and those for whom each alarm is a source of intense anxiety, the organization started operating quickly:
- On the first day of the war (which was a Saturday), we started direct contact with people with disabilities in the areas where the terror was occurring.
- Towards the end of the first day, we uploaded a vital information page for emergencies.
- On the second day (Sunday), the emergency call center was fully activated, offering essential information to reduce uncertainty and stress for people with disabilities and the elderly.
- On the fourth day, we already started accessible alternative housing system and evacuations- executing accessible rescues for people in wheelchairs using specialized vehicles, evacuating those with disabilities and their families to alternative, accessible, and secure housing, and supplying essential needs to evacuees and those choosing to remain in their homes.
- In the first week, we established an expanded and dedicated system of volunteers for the project.
- We published videos for initial training on accessible housing, emergency assistance, awareness and more
- We provided specialized training to the general public on assisting people with disabilities during emergency, encouraging volunteering for the Purple Vest initiative.
Two months into the mission, we have actively responded to numerous inquiries, conducted training sessions for hundreds of individuals, evacuated over a thousand people from their homes, and provided essential assistance to many more. Each request is met with a tailored solution, recognizing the complexity of each disability and the diverse needs of every person.
Our Values
Leaving No One Behind
Knowing In Advance
Connecting The Dots
Awareness Of Accessibility
About Access Israel
Access Israel, was established in 1999 and is the leading organization in Israel on accessibility and inclusion. Our goal is to promote accessibility and inclusion, to make Israel accessible and inclusive, for people with all types of disabilities and the elderly, in all areas of life and to improve their quality of life.
Our Team
Adv. Michal Rimon
CEO of Access Israel
Head Of Purple Vest Mission
Shon Yurman
Digital Content Coordinator
Purple Vest Mission
Shelly Rom
VP International
Purple Vest Mission
Liat Hacohavi
Project Mnager
Purple Vest Mission