Our new Director of Community Relations is Erez Barkai. Erez is a graduate of the Centre and is working with his third guide dog Venus.
Erez’s job includes outreach, to raise awareness in a general manner, and to be more proactive, specifically to ensure that the rights of our guide dog and service dog graduates are protected in the public arena. He receives complaints from graduates with guide dogs, IDF graduates with PTSD service dogs and puppy raisers, on issues concerning accessibility in the public arena.
Not only does he deal with the specific issue but uses this as an opportunity to educate both the individuals and management concerned and to facilitate changes in policy. Among the recent issues and outreach Erez has worked on include:
• Lectures to the management of the Tel Aviv Metropolitan Mass Transit System Ltd.
• Meeting with the State Comptroller’s Public Complaints Commission to coordinate a working relationship.
• Successfully changing the Tel Aviv municipal bylaws regarding access to the Tel Aviv beaches for guide dog puppies in training and guide dogs.
• Advocacy and discussion with the 40 Social Workers at Meir Medical Center Hospital in Kfar Saba.
• Interface with the Israeli Knesset and MPs. Upcoming visit to Beit Oved of MP Debbi Biton whose daughter is one of our graduates.
• Creating working relationships and cooperation with the Commission for Equality of Rights for Persons with Disabilities in the Ministry of Justice.
• Working with the Israel Railways and meeting with station managers and inspectors.
• Cooperation with the Nature and Parks Authority and outreach to their organisational staff and the nature reserves.
• Meeting with the Minister of Welfare, Ya’acov Margi, regarding the implementation of the law for service dogs that was passed in May 2022.
