Upfront I need to let you know, that this trip was not a regular one to a conference, and also my first to Israel. So I tried to filter all noise that comes with classic \u201cwoooah\u201d-effect in a new country. Access Israel organized the\u00a07th international conference<\/a>\u00a0on disability and inclusion on 26th May at the Avenue Convention Center with over 800 people from 22 different countries. Klaus Hoeckner from the\u00a0Austrian Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired<\/a>\u00a0often recommended this event to me.<\/p> Together with\u00a0Advantage Austria (WKO)<\/a>\u00a0and Martin Essl (Essl Foundation – Zero Project<\/a>) he managed to organize a delegation of 21 people from NGOs, private companies, as well as federal institutions. Exchanging ideas and knowledge and gaining new business opportunities in the field of assistive technologies and social approaches or just to have a look at what the challenges are in other countries for a more inclusive society where the main aims of this delegation. Access Israel was founded 20 years ago under tragically circumstances by the former Air Force pilot Yuval Wagner after a helicopter crash on a training mission. After he wrote a letter to the president, he got the command to enhance the situation in Israel. Now, 20 years of unremitting efforts by Yuval and his team and long time friends later, this organization got a huge impact on the society and life in Israel and thanks to their knowledge-sharing also on various other countries all over the world.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t On the first evening we had dinner together with Martin Weiss (Austrian Ambassador), Roland Adrowitzer (TV Correspondent) and Yuval, Michal & Rani from Access Israel at the\u00a0Mashya Restaurant<\/a>, which was located in our hotel. One of the best you can go in Israel. So I don\u2019t have to explain why I love this place or also daily breakfast, prepared by the same kitchen staff. Even though the rooms were quite small, this organized hotel was perfect, as also other attendees spent their nights there and so you had plenty of time to talk to interesting people.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t On day 2 Access Israel and the export institute, ministry for tourism and the ministry of foreign affairs organized a B2B Event with curated meetings to find new business opportunities. I\u2019m still very excited about a company I talked to, as they provide a really cool tool for a11y testing and further process handling, that I have never seen before. I promise, you will hear about that soon. In the afternoon we had the chance to visit the Perez Institute for Peace and Innovation in Yaffa. After the official reign of Shimon Perez he returned to the city, from which he flew from the Nazis in 1934 and built a very astonishing place, not only from the architectural perspective. It\u2019s a place where technology, culture and visions meet and provide a very impressive hub for the future. Huge displays with animations, VR journeys, life-size screens with stories about founders from Israel, an auditorium with view to the seashore or a collection of innovations from Israel, that changed the world, awaited us during a private tour through this place. I only can recommend this spot to every tourist or entrepreneur visiting the country.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t On day 3 we had the chance to go for an accessible trip to Jerusalem. Probably it was not the perfect weather with sunshine and around 38 degrees but it was worth every minute. We started with a perfect view on Jerusalem from Mount Scopus observation point. We entered the city after some security discussions with the police via the Zion gate, visited the Jewish Quarter, Via Dolorosa and the Church of Holy Sepulchre to get a fresh and delicious pita before leaving to the Temple Western Wall – the Kotel. All of this trip was done without any (major) problems, even for wheelchairs.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.zensations.at\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Group_AccessIsrael_Austria_2019-2.jpg\")
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<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\tB2B speed dating\n<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\tInclusive day trip to Jerusalem\n<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.zensations.at\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Shabbat_Dinner_Access_Israel-2.jpg\")
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<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t