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Migdal Or - Serving People with Vision Loss

Driven by the vision that every person with vision loss in Israel should be able to fulfill him/herself, Migdal Or operates a range of services for improving daily function and promoting employment of people who are blind or visually-impaired. Our mission is to develop and provide professional services that are relevant and innovative, and to disseminate information about functional and occupational advancement of people with vision loss.

Founded in 1957, and integrated into Northern Goals in 2011, Migdal Or is active all across Israel, with branches in Haifa, Tel Aviv, Be'er Sheva and Jerusalem, offering a "one-stop-shop" coordinated approach to helping people of all ages and sectors achieve or regain independence. Some services are available equally to people who are not registered as blind according to criteria of the Ministry of Social Affairs.

We work with the service-recipient in one of our centers or in his/her home environment, delivering a customized program that suits the background, situation and aspirations of the person, working both with him and with others who may be involved in a regular or significant way in his life.

Our activities include operating services on behalf of the Ministry of Social Affairs and National Insurance Institute, as well as developing and running pilots that explore new ways of enhancing daily function and employment opportunities among our target group.

For more information, please contact:

Migdal Or - geographic spread

Migdal Or - Main Branch

Haifa, ישראל

Migdal Or - Branch

Tel Aviv-Yafo, ישראל

Migdal Or - Branch

Jerusalem, ישראל

Migdal Or - Branch

Beersheba, ישראל

Activites
Advancing Independent Functioning
Choosing a Career, Occupational Training and Finding a Job
Supportive Circles Training Center
Technology Support Helpline
Low Vision Rehabilitation Center
Migdal Or Factory

Scope of Activity

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Rehabilitation teachers around the country
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Migdal Or branches in different regions of Israel
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Service-recipients per year

In their own words

“I called the Technology Helpline for the first time because I was having difficulty with my computer. The person who dealt with me really knew what he was talking about, but more than that, he was generous with his time, patient and extremely considerate. I’ve never been treated so warmly and humanely on the phone! The Helpline is an amazing service for Israel’s blind community. It really grants us the confidence to use technology. I don’t think there’s anything like it which gives such support without any financial motive. I congratulate you on setting it up and hope it long continues to operate”

Andrei Leiber, Haifa

“The deterioration in my sight due to retinitis pigmentosa began when I finished school. I decided to work in computers, which I enjoyed, although I didn’t have any formal training. I spent hours teaching myself and took on some freelance projects here and there. Around a year ago, my vision really worsened and I realized that my livelihood was in danger. I began a course at Migdal Or to learn screen-reading software on the computer and all the latest technologies for people who are visually impaired. I also took some lessons to improve my language skills, word-processing and Office. I’ve now about to begin studies in Computer Science at the Hebrew University”

Igor Krasner, Rishon Le’Zion

“My name is Yafit Zvi, I’m 21 years old from Jerusalem, and I have a visual impairment. I joined a course at Migdal Or in Tel Aviv a couple of months ago to help me find work. I’m now learning to use a computer, as well as English and Hebrew lessons, so that I can get a job as a secretary, maybe a medical secretary. I feel very welcome at the Migdal Or center, both by the staff there who accept me because of, and also despite, my difficulties; and by my fellow students, who without being able to see my physical outer body, are able to see the person I am inside and in this way help me to be proud of being who I am”

“Despite my vision loss, I successfully completed my studies as a social worker and began the complicated process of integrating into the job market. I signed up for a course of supported employment at Migdal Or, and was trained by the placement counselor and the social worker in now to prepare for phone and frontal interviews, how to identify my strengths and weaknesses, and how to improve them. The course helped me a lot, especially in becoming more flexible in terms of the demands and expectations I have of myself, so that at the end of the day I can achieve my dream”

Ali Dahla, aged 23, Tel Aviv

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