In the darkest times, social innovation shines to buoy thousands of Israelis in crisis, thanks to the targeted work of Tikkun Olam Makers (TOM).
In response to the ongoing war, TOM’s makers aid wounded veterans and improve accessibility for people with disabilities in threatened regions, from designing couches that transform into wheelchairs so disabled Israelis can move quickly to safety, to footprints for autistic children to follow at the sound of a warning alarm.
“We provide unique solutions. For example, think of a person using a wheelchair: How, if they’re sitting on the sofa at home, could they get into a wheelchair and then to a safe space within one minute? It’s practically impossible. So, we created a sofa on wheels. If there’s an alarm, they can roll to a safe space very quickly,” explains Roy Goldenberg, head of TOM operations in Israel.
Their key initiatives include:
Support for people with disabilities in the north: TOM collaborates with Access Israel and the Home Front Command to enhance accessibility for people with disabilities in Ako, Haifa, Tiberias and Tzfat, in growing numbers. For instance, they make specialized couches that transform into wheelchairs, which allow for faster evacuation to protected zones during rocket attacks. This allows disabled people to move quickly to safety. Specifically, TOM has identified 400 apartments and homes in need of such protection. TOM professionals walk each apartment identified for accessibility upgrades with the Home Front Command and map out an engineering and execution plan to make the home accessible in a war scenario.
Aid for wounded soldiers in rehab: TOM also provides prosthetics and medical solutions to wounded soldiers in long-term rehab, customized for each patient, supported by the Ministry of Defense.
Overall, CJP has provided TOM with $250,000 to sustain these crucial ongoing projects. CJP’s support has been particularly instrumental in supporting wounded veterans with families, says Goldenberg.
“Twelve thousand soldiers have been injured, which is a number that’s hard to grasp. We’re helping parents on crutches push baby strollers. We have a special crib for parents in wheelchairs so they can take their baby in and out more easily. Now, we’re working with a soldier on how to change a diaper with one hand. We’re trying to make sure that everyone gets whatever they need to feel safe,” he says.
TOM began in 2014. Prior to the war, they fielded individual requests from disabled individuals requesting help with a specific need—for example, crutches that work with a baby stroller; a knife easily used by an amputee.
Since Oct. 7, TOM has collaborated closely with hospitals and nonprofits to treat large swaths of patients affected by war through organizations such as Access Israel and the Home Front Command to respond to acute crisis.
Goldenberg becomes emotional recalling the story of a child on the autism spectrum. Since the war, each time he heard an alarm, he would become frantic and try to climb the walls of his home. In response, TOM worked with the family to design small footstep stickers on the floor to trace a path to safety, which he could rely on if under attack.
“Last week, their house got a direct hit by a missile. But the child found the safe space, so nothing happened to him or to his family. It’s really a life-saving project for a lot of families,” Goldenberg says.
Importantly, these solutions are designed by a community of makers, shared on an open source website. Their portfolio ranges from prosthesis to ramps and therapeutic blankets for patients suffering from post-trauma disorders. There are roughly 1,000 prototype solutions in their open library in various development phases, with 50 ready for production and download. They have delivered more than 213,000 products to 70 communities through 1,059 projects using their open-source model.
“Basically, we’re building the biggest library in the world for solutions for the neglected challenges of humanity. We want to keep expanding this library to have thousands of solutions that will be accessible and affordable for anyone, anywhere around the world.” Goldenberg says. “The intellectual property of every invention that we create belongs to the public, shared through our platform. People with disabilities should enjoy all the innovation that exists on the market today.”
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