About the project
Akim, the Israel Association for the Rehabilitation of the Mentally Handicapped, was founded in the early 1950s as a voluntary parents’ organization devoted to the education and rehabilitation of mentally disabled children and adults, including those who suffer from mental retardation, mental illness, behavior disorders, cerebral palsy, autism and more. Akim Jerusalem is the largest service provider in the Akim network, offering full life-cycle support to all ages at all levels of functioning. By 1991, Akim Jerusalem operated more than 30 facilities, including kindergartens and schools, group homes and vocational training facilities in all parts of the city. The Jerusalem Foundation has provided support for many Akim projects over the years, including renovations to several of its group homes, programs to help integrate the mentally disabled into mainstream environments and programs at its Eddie Shore Kindergarten. It also helped establish several facilities operated by Akim: the Albert & Suzanne Hettena Day Care Center, the Sura Reva Schapiro Center and the Music & Movement Therapy Center.
