Friends of Access Israel

Original Article Published On the Jerusalem Post

The two organizations are in the midst of 12 days of hiking in New York with teams consisting of people with and without disabilities.

NEW YORK – Not every hiking trail in the world is accessible for people with disabilities, but don’t tell that to Friends of Access Israel (FAISR) and Paratrek. They simply don’t agree. 

The two organizations, which have already accompanied four people with paraplegia to reach the not-so-accessible top of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, are in the midst of 12 days of hiking in New York with teams consisting of people with and without disabilities. 

The USA treks (August 1 to 3 and 8 to 11) are taking place in Rockefeller State Park in Pleasantville, New York (USA). Teams from Israel and Delaware, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Florida and New York in the United States are participating in hikes that vary in level of difficulty. Each day’s hiking adventure is led by a person with a disability.

 August 1 is Team Colton, August 2 is Team Alan, August 3 is Team Fred and August 4, the only day taking place in New York City’s Central Park, is Team Paratrek, named after the trekker vehicle that assists people with physical disabilities to access rugged terrains. August 9 to 11 is Team Chapel Haven, in honor of hike participants from Chapel Haven in New Haven, Connecticut (USA), a nationally accredited transitional living program founded in 1972 and devoted to teaching adults with cognitive disabilities and social disabilities to live independent and productive lives.

James A. Lassner, Executive Director of FAISR, refers to the hike as the “FAISR Universal Expedition – USA Trek #1,” with the hashtag, #AccessibleTogether. Lassner notes, “The hike/trek capitalizes on team members’ respective physical strengths, mental toughness and diverse abilities.” 

The word “Universal” is meaningful and intentional. “Universal’ is the concept of planning in advance to build events, schools, workplaces and technology so they are usable by a wide range of people, regardless of age or disability status. While universal design promotes access for individuals with disabilities, it also benefits everyone. Universal has added meaning because the word “universal” contains the letters ‘USA’ and the word ‘Israel.’” 

Colton Robinson, an 11-year-old model who was born with spina bifida, is the namesake for Team Colton. When Colton was five years old he was a finalist for a “Cutest Kid” contest for Parents Magazine and was signed by a modeling agency in NYC. He was the first model signed to this agency’s diversity division. Colton has modeled for Tommy Hilfiger, Runway of Dreams, Toys R Us, Target, Lands End and many other companies. He was also the first child that uses a wheelchair to model in New York Fashion Week. 

“Colton is currently a model for Target stores both online and at their various USA locations. More importantly he is a fine model of being a perfect gentleman. We have a lot to learn from him!” says Lassner.

The hike’s first day marked the US debut of the Paratrek Trekker, the brainchild of Israeli inventor Omer Zur. On his post-army trip many years ago, Zur wanted to hike in Turkey with his father, a person with quadriplegia as a result of fighting in the Sinai during the Six Day War. Zur soon realized that he had to come up with a suitable device that can handle off-road hiking without taking away his father’s independence. The simple-looking yet highly sophisticated Paratrek trekker can successfully traverse through rough and rocky terrain, steep inclines, narrow paths, over sand, boulders, rock and gravel. 

The Trekker successfully navigated Kilimanjaro with people with paraplegia less than two years ago.

“We are thrilled to debut our trekker at the FAISR Universal Expedition in New York. Our trekker has made it to 19,341 feet of Mount Kilimanjaro with FAISR, the Dead Sea in Israel which is the lowest place on earth and many other sites and trails around the world,” said Zur. “Our vision is to make it possible for individuals, families and groups to choose for themselves if, when, and where they wish to enjoy the great outdoors. As we introduce our trekker, we are confident that National and State parks will be interested in them as they will enhance accessibility at each of their venues.”

Fred Maahs Jr, a wheelchair user who is also chief operations officer for Travel for All and editor of Melange, Accessibility for All magazine, is heading up Team Fred on Day 3. 

“Travel for All is proud to be a partner of Friends of Access Israel and to assist with the travel arrangements for the Faisr Universal Expedition. Our missions align – we both believe that the world should be accessible and inclusive so that all people can explore and experience its beauty and wonders.”

Future hikes and treks will take place mostly in Israel with some events taking place in the United States. The ultimate goal is to make specific trails in both countries accessible for everyone.

Friends of Access Israel, together with its collaborative partner, Access Israel, strive to improve accessibility and inclusion globally for people with disabilities and the elderly via advocacy, education and inclusion. 

“With each improvement we empower them to live self-determined lives enabling them to work, travel, study and consume with dignity, equality and maximum independence,” reports FAISR’s Lassner. 

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Original Article Published in The Paa Tanzania page 30-31

Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro is a tough task for anyone, but for four
paraplegic climbers it was the ultimate challenge. This year, thanks
to the latest in durable climbing chairs and a team of Tanzanian
and international alpinists, the quartet’s lifelong dreams to reach
the ‘roof of Africa’ were realised. Here writer Howard Blas, who was
part of the expedition, reveals the collective effort involved.

Arnold John always dreamed of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. The 44-year-old Tanzanian father of three grew up at the base of the dormant volcano and has family members who have worked as porters, yet he never had
the opportunity to attempt the strenuous, multi-day trek to the top. As a teenager, the talented student and soccer player was struck with an acute illness that left him paralysed and dependent on crutches and a wheelchair to get around. Despite his condition, John’s dream of reaching the summit never left him and this February he saw it come true – thanks to the support of Friends of Access Israel (FAISR), an organisation promoting
accessibility and inclusion, and 27 fellow climbers – including three others with paraplegia.
The Kilimanjaro climb was the brainchild of the executive director of FAISR,
James Lassner, and drew the support of the organisation’s collaborative partner, Access Israel.

Lassner was delighted when the climb’s architect and co-ordinator Sabino ‘Sabi’ Kweka – a former porter and guide, who is now owner of the popular Moshi tour operator Popote Africa Adventures – suggested John be included in the expedition. Kweka had drawn up the expedition to follow the Marangu route, also known as the Coca Cola trail, and to involve overnight stays in the Mandara Hut (2,700 metres), Horombo Hut (3,700 metres), and
the Kibo Hut (4,700 metres) on the way up.
The group would then attempt the final all-night ascent to the 5,895-metre Uhuru Peak Lassner said: “Every day people with disabilities face many personal mountains to climb, some visible but most hidden.
They are no different than anyone else as they have the same dreams, desires, hopes, and aspirations including ‘bucket list’ items.”
The FAISR Kilimanjaro 2020 Team included hikers from the Caribbean island of Aruba and Israel as well as Texas, Montana, Pennsylvania, New
York, and New Jersey in the United States.
Other hikers with physical disabilities who participated in the climb included Starla Hilliard-Barnes of Utah, a twice-paralysed participant; Marcela Maranon, an amputee who is also a paraplegic; and Arnon Amit,
paralysed in a car accident during his time in the Israel Defense Forces.

State-of-the-art chair

It was a big operation. Climbers were accompanied by three cooks, 11 guides and 70 porters. The latter carried all participants’ clothing and sleeping bags as well as their food, water and cooking supplies. Cooks provided kosher meals both at the huts and along the route.
Regular food breaks were crucial: daily mileage ranged from 3.1 miles on the acclimation days, to 13.7 miles during the final midnight to sunrise ascent to the summit. The climb was made possible for the participants with paraplegia thanks to the Patatrek Trekker, a durable chair designed by Israeli participant Omer Zur, who is the chief executive of the Israeli Paratrek company. He designed the special chair to enable his paralysed father to enjoy outdoor adventures with friends with and without disabilities.
Each trekker was pulled, pushed and guided by a dedicated team of six porters. Participants without disabilities divided into teams – Team Marcela, Team Starla, Team Arnon and Team Arnold – and hiked together through five climatic zones and often rough terrain.

Triumph of teamwork

Peruvian-born and Dallas, Texas-based Maranon, 38, who has 48,000 Instagram followers keeping up with her solo globetrotting adventures, found the climb a challenging, but ultimately rewarding experience. “For me it was very hard,” she says. “It was so steep. Thirty minutes before we got to the summit, you could just look down and see all the way down.
It was so scary.”
Hilliard-Barnes, who made the trip with her husband, Shannon Barnes, kept a positive attitude throughout the trip, including on the last day when she fell ill.
“The last day I was in pain but just tried to smile” she says. “I just tried to stay positive. That was me, happy and smiling the whole
time.” She offered comfort and encouragement to fellow climbers throughout the trip – even as they experienced difficulties on the climb.
Zur saw the climb as a triumph of teamwork. He says: “Ascending the peak
of Kilimanjaro is a dream come true not because of the mountain. That was never a dream of mine. The dream that we fulfilled is to see this group – people with and without disabilities – climbing together, as a group, as people who see each other as equals. To see that, out there in a super
non-accessible trail, that for me is a reason to continue doing what we do!”
Thankfully, every participant reached one of Mt Kilimanjaro’s three summits— Stella’s Point (5,756 metres), Gilman’s Point (5,685 metres) or Uhuru Peak (5,995 metres).
Lassner is very proud of everyone involved. He says: “Our successful summiting of Mt Kilimanjaro was fueled by the diverse abilities and deep inner strengths of each individual that they contributed to enhance the experience of team.”

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