OSH - Safety and Health Of people with disabilities In workplaces - page 51

Occupational Safety and Hygiene for Disabled Employees
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work. Today I get up in the morning and smile on my way to work, without any worries. It
does not get any better than this”. Adds Kuty.
2. Compatibility with wheels
If you call taxi station “Nitzan” in the town of Nitzan and Itzik will send you the senior driver
Shlomo Schwartz, you probably consider things to be ok. Shlomo will get to you with his
white Skoda car and when you sit inside, at first sight, you will not see anything out of the
ordinary. However, behind this naïve looking taxi, there is another story of adjustment.
“Shlomo had two driving challenges that had to be solved” says Itzik Gvili, manager of the
taxi station. “His right foot is prosthesis and he cannot move it, so that while driving he can
only use his left foot. In addition, he needs space for his feet at the front as he cannot bend
his foot”. Unlike other drivers, Shlomo cannot press the clutch pedal and therefore cannot
drive a car with regular gear box. An automated gear box is not standard in taxis and makes
the vehicle much more expensive. The other issue is related to the need for more space in the
car for him, as he cannot bend his right foot when getting in and out of the car nor when he
sits and drives. It is crucial, as being a taxi driver, Shlomo spends much of his days in the car.
The handling by the Ministry of Economy was amazing. In our country, we are used to the
axiom: ‘paying takes no time – but when you are the receiving party it becomes the longest
bureaucracy in the world’. In this case, however, all those who worked with us from that
office provided personal and quick attention. Things were simple and within three months
the money was in the bank account.
True, the money was given as refund, which was a bit tricky due to the high costs. But once
confidence was established and the concerns dissolved – I kept waiting for my refund quietly”.
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