Policy Towards Persons with Disabilities: From Social Legislation to Legislating Rights

In general, policy and legislation can be divided into three main periods:

1. From the establishment of the State until the 1970s. Policy and legislation were social and based on a bio-medical model and on the source of the disability for determining benefit levels or specific services;
2. From 1970 until 1995. In both policy and legislation there was recognition of the need to assimilate people with disabilities into the community.
3. From 1995 until now. Policy is based on legislation of equal rights for people with disabilities and on the rights of the individual with disabilities to participate fully in all aspects of life and society.

This paper deals with the shaping of policy and legislation regarding those with disabilities.

This paper appears as a chapter in the book Formulating Social Policy in Israel, Uri Aviram, Johnny Gal and Yosef Katan (editors).

This paper is in Hebrew only.