May 4, 2011, Updated September 12, 2012

It’s a world’s first. A business in Israel is almost entirely staffed by mentally and physically disabled people in a unique for-profit enterprise.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZEF0QHN-mE

There’s no other business like it in the world. Israeli psychologist Gil Winch has founded a for-profit company, called Call Yachol, that provides jobs specifically for disabled Jewish and Arab adults.

Call Yachol (which implies both “able to call” and “able to do anything”) employs 180 people with different mental and physical disabilities. The company already has a successful call center in Rishon Lezion and plans to open more in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

Call Yachol

Productivity is high at Call Yachol where employees are given time for team fun as well as business.

Today, all over the world, up to 90 percent of severely disabled adults face chronic unemployment. But Winch says his employees’ mental or physical limitations don’t affect their productivity.

“The biggest problem is when society shuns you and hasn’t given you a place for the past 20 years,” he says. “That does amazing things to your sense of self-worth and your self-esteem and self-confidence.”

Winch implemented a parent-based management model where workers are given affection and have scheduled time for team fun. The unusual business has garnered interest from people all over the world who are now looking to bring the unique Israeli model abroad.

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