Al-Manarah Association for the Advancement of Arab Persons with Disabilities Information

Al-Manarah, which means “Lighthouse” in Arabic, was initiated in 2005 by a group of grassroots activists in order to advance the status of Arab persons with disabilities in Israel. It is the first Arab organization of its kind, and it meets a pressing need. More than 400,000 Arab persons with disabilities live in Israel. They face a lack of essential public services, and suffer widespread social exclusion and discrimination. Each year, thousands of persons with disabilities and more than 5,000 non-disabled persons from Arab communities throughout Israel benefit from Al-Manarah’s services, training, and activities. Al-Manarah works to empower its core stakeholders in order to change attitudes towards persons with disabilities in Arab society. Our empowerment groups foster self-awareness and decision making among persons with disabilities while Al-Manarah’s professional staff provide support and rights consultation. Al-Manarah’s Library for the Print Disabled offers a broad range of Arabic-language audio, Braille, large-print and electronic resources. Through extensive workshops, seminars and the distribution of educational materials, Al-Manarah also works with families and a wider community of non-disabled stakeholders to open Arab society to the world of persons with disabilities. Furthermore, Al-Manarah works to ensure accessibility and compliance with human rights law through strategic legal advocacy and litigation on behalf of Arab persons with disabilities.