Organizational Background

Following the UN Convention on Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities, which was approved by the State of Israel in 2012, there has been an increase over the past decade in the scope of investment in budgets and projects for their integration into society. In addition, there has been an increase in awareness of the right of persons with disabilities to equal and active participation in society in the realms of leisure, housing, education, and employment.

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However, when examining the realm of leisure in this context, it is possible to identify a practice that goes against the social ideas of equal rights presented in the United Nations Convention. We believe that many activities that aim to integrate persons with disabilities actually reinforce inequality. This is due to the established belief among many service providers that individuals with cognitive disabilities or autism will not be able to participate in "normal" leisure activities without the help of philanthropic tools such as volunteers, donations, and professional therapists. These tools, which no one would think of using in "normal" leisure activities with neurotypical participants, make the activities inherently unequal. These beliefs not only fail to promote equal rights, but they also perpetuate the notion that persons with disabilities are "weak" and lacking in the ability to contribute to the joint activity, rather than solely to benefit from it. As a result, although leading studies indicate that leisure activities offer many quality-of-life benefits in the context of community cohesion and mental well-being [2], persons with disabilities have difficulty integrating with the general population in leisure activities.

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The Association 'Beyond the Voice' operates a program to integrate persons with disabilities through the establishment of integrated choirs for singers with and without disabilities. In contrast to the traditional approach of charities, the Association 'Beyond the Voice' advocates for the natural connection between the singers based on their musical abilities and strengths, without the need for volunteers or outside therapists or social welfare personnel to sustain the activity. All the participating singers (both with and without disabilities) are required to have good singing ability and social interaction skills, which allow them to enjoy a professional activity based on their strengths and which fosters mutual benefit that increases the potential for an optimal egalitarian integration.

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Uri Shahar, founder of the 'Beyond the Voice' choir project, clarifies: "An integrated choir is not an ordinary choir. Its goals and measures of success are different, not because it cannot attain musical achievements, but because it has additional, social content that promotes integration and familiarity between groups in society. It has its own identity that offers a leisure product that is needed by the entire population - social leisure that promotes acquaintance between people with different social characteristics, which does not exalt ambition as the main measure of success, but rather is occupied with the natural connections between people based on their strengths and abilities."

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The 'Beyond the Voice' method offers practical tools and adapted work methods for integrated choirs. The method was developed as part of the choirs' activities and in cooperation with professionals in the fields of music and society, together with singers with and without disabilities. The model that represents our work is called "the model for equal integration in music," and it is used both by us in our current work, and by educators and choir conductors in musical activities in the fields of education and leisure.

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From the data we have collected, we estimate that approximately 300,000 people with disabilities aged 18-65 in Israel may be suitable for the choir program. That is, they live with a disability that does not prevent them from participating in an equal way in the choir's activities. These are people with cognitive impairments such as intellectual developmental disabilities, severe learning disabilities, as well as people with CP, autism, and other disabilities.

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Dudu Globman, 53 years old, a singer (with an intellectual developmental disability) in the adult choir, said in a conversation with the Hadera "City" website: "I have been in the choir since it was founded, for eight years. Everyone there is my friend, we are like a family. I am happy to be part of the choir. Inside the room there are no disabled or normal, everyone is one person, everyone is equal."

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The choir program is intended for male and female singers aged eighteen and above, and participation in the choirs is contingent upon an admissions audition (for every singer - with or without a disability). The choirs hold an average of forty-four rehearsals per year on a weekly basis, alongside six annual performances and activities such as recordings and participation in community events.

 

The Association's goals in the coming years:

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1. To establish additional integrated choirs outside the main urban areas (in the "periphery").

2. To connect additional communities to egalitarian action in the spirit of 'Beyond the Voice,' through workshops based on singing and discourse in organizations and commercial companies.

3. To validate the operating model of the choirs with academic tools, including research.

4. To develop a professional community for integration in music based on the comprehensive methodology that we have developed, through a program for training music teachers, choir conductors and classroom instructors.
    

[1] Brookdale JDC (2021) People with Disabilities in Israel, Facts and Figures
[2] Brown, PJ (2016). The Benefits of Leisure and Recreation. Journal of Parks and Recreation Administration, 34