Working with the family unit where the person with disabilities grows is one of the main focuses of the AlManarah Association. We believe that if a person with a disability grows up in a supportive, encouraging, and embracing environment, they will be able to move forward and grow in life.
For many years, AlManarah has held parenting and child empowerment sessions, rights extraction sessions, and social activist training sessions. These sessions aim to help parents promote the rights and abilities of people with disabilities, provide personal support for parents as support, empower families, and advocate for the rights of individuals with disabilities. The activities and sessions have been held at AlManarah, special education schools, and various authorities.
Currently, AlManarah is focused on three main goals:
1. Assisting parents in the process of supporting their children’s entry into the labor market – We help families enroll their children in courses that will empower them and develop their educational and vocational skills, which will subsequently assist their integration into the labor market.
Our professional staff will guide and explain to parents in individual and group meetings that going out to the labor market is the most important tool for their children despite all the traditional considerations that have long existed in Arab society.
2. Exploring and educating on the rights of the participants so that they can receive all the services and rights they deserve from the various government agencies – One of our main activities is providing assistance and support for people with disabilities and their families. The AlManarah team provides social, emotional, and rights assistance and advice, helping people navigate the various governmental and non-governmental services they’re entitled to. We consider directing participants to rights extraction programs an integral part of our program, and this can be a significant step forward in the participants’ eventual expanded independence and integration into academia and employment.
3. Providing tools for families to better deal with their children’s disabilities – We assist families in finding ways for their children to attain dignity and as much independence as possible considering their particular situation. Our accompaniment also assists in coping with the anger and frustration that can come with being family members of children with disabilities.
For example: In order to assist individuals studying for psychometric examinations, the pre-collegiate tests in Israel, AlManarah initiates meetings with the parents at the beginning of their children’s studies in order to jointly define the ways they can support their child. Throughout the course, we maintain close contact with the parents, to both overcome and solve problems.
We believe that our relationship with families, which focuses on inclusion, empowerment, support, and the realization of rights, will lead to a more supportive and effective environment for family members with disabilities, with an eventual goal of moving forward and integrate into academia and employment.
The relationship with family members is maintained throughout the program, from recruitment to graduation, through personal and group meetings and telephone contact.