When the Siren Sounds, One in Five Israelis Can’t Reach Safety

Two Israeli seniors were killed overnight when an Iranian cluster bomb hit their Ramat Gan apartment. The husband reportedly needed a walker to get around. When a missile warning sounds in Israel, people have only seconds to act — to get to a safe room or bomb shelter. But what if you can’t get there in time? Nearly one in five Israelis lives with a disability. And for many, reaching safety isn’t always possible. Some shelters can only be accessed by stairs. Others may not receive alerts in time — or at all — if they’re deaf, blind, or unable to use smartphone apps. And for seniors or those without access to technology, those life-saving warnings can fall short. Canadian lawyer and disability rights advocate David Lepofsky says this is a hidden crisis — one that’s been known for years, but still not fully addressed. On today’s episode of The CJN’s North Star, he joins me to explain how this war is exposing those gaps — and why they’re now a matter of life and death. Israel, disability rights, accessibility, emergency alerts, public safety, war, human rights, bomb shelters, civil defense, Canada, CJN, North Star Podcast Related stories Learn more about the Israeli disability rights organization Bizchut Subscribe to David Lepofsky’s new podcast called “Disability Rights and Wrongs: The David Lepodcast.” Hear Montrealer Neil Oberman’s first-hand account of receiving alerts on the phone and running to a bomb shelter, on The CJN’s ‘North Star’ podcast from March 2. Credits Host and writer: Ellin Bessner ( @ebessner ) Production team: Zachary Kauffman (senior producer), Andrea Varsany (producer), Michael Fraiman (executive producer), Alicia Richler (editorial director) Music: Bret Higgins Support our show Subscribe to The CJN newsletter Donate to The CJN (+ get a charitable tax receipt) Subscribe to North Star (Not sure how? Click here ) Watch our podcasts on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@TheCJN Help others find this podcast by leaving us a review for “North Star” on Apple Podcasts via your iPhone or iPad device, or with your Android. (Spotify allows only starred ratings but you can do that, too!)