This study was carried out by Michlol- the Evaluation and Measurement Unit of the Shalem Fund
The report summarizes the findings of a pilot program jointly initiated by the One in Nine Association, the Disabilities Administration of the Ministry of Welfare, and the Shalem Foundation. The program aimed to examine the suitability of workshops designed to raise awareness of the importance of early detection of breast cancer for women with developmental intellectual disability and cognitive decline.
Five frameworks participated in the pilot (four employment centers and one government residence), supported by three facilitators from One in Nine and five referents from the participating frameworks. The evaluation was conducted by the Shalem Foundation’s Michlol Unit, using questionnaires, interviews, and reporting forms.
The findings indicate that the service recipients cooperated and showed genuine interest in the workshop content, and most of them remembered the key messages even three months later. The facilitators and referents emphasized the importance of splitting the workshop into several sessions and reported a better atmosphere in the second and third sessions, in which the service recipients were already familiar with the facilitator. They also highlighted the central importance of the referent within each framework as a critical factor for the project’s success.
The presentations and materials used were assessed as accessible and appropriate, though the need for more tangible aids was noted—for example, the use of a physical model to illustrate key concepts. Challenges that emerged during the pilot included difficulties coordinating with the frameworks, challenges in recruiting guardians for the preliminary meeting, high variability in functioning levels among participants, and occasional operational difficulties within the frameworks themselves.
Despite these challenges, the pilot demonstrated that complex medical information can be conveyed to women with developmental intellectual disability and cognitive decline (at higher functioning levels) in a manner that is clear, relevant, and impactful—an achievement that represents a significant milestone in making medical knowledge accessible and promoting the health of women with disabilities in Israel.
Keywords: One in Nine, early detection of breast cancer, women with developmental intellectual disability, cognitive decline, cognitive accessibility, plain language adaptation, health promotion, adapted workshops