The Office of the Ombudsman is obligated to take proactive measures to reach out to vulnerable communities that are worthy of special attention - communities that are required to contend with several barriers on the path to their exercising their rights, such as the geographic barrier, the language barrier, the cultural barrier and the financial barrier. The Ombudsman must try to help these communities overcome the barriers.
The geographical barrier: The Ombudsman Office should let vulnerable communities know that they are not "out of sight" by reaching them physically. The Ombudsman of Israel opened reception bureaus in the social and geographical periphery and has recently also started receiving complaints online.
The language barrier: The Office of the Ombudsman aims, where possible, to enable those turning to it to express themselves in the language in which they feel comfortable. The Israeli Ombudsman employs staff members who speak a variety of languages and also sends complaints written in different languages for translation by professional translators.
Cultural barriers: Ways of acquiring the trust of vulnerable communities in the Office of the Israel Ombudsman:
Making contact with sources in the community, such as social activists and third sector organizations dealing with rights exhaustion. In 2019, the Israeli Ombudsman launched the "Ombudsman in the Community" project - a project aimed at institutionalizing cooperation between social organizations dealing with rights exhaustion and the Office.
Organizing informational activities and seminars for bodies dealing with rights exhaustion.
Enlisting 11th and 12th graders as the Ombudsman's "ambassadors".
Establishing a clinic in the law faculty of a college in the North of the country.
Organizing for its staff a seminar for providing applied tools for dealing with cultural sensitivities and coping with cultural and social biases.
Training and instructing the staff of the Office to highlight "the complainant's experience" and not merely the outcome of the investigation.
The financial barrier: The Office of the Israel Ombudsman provides a professional complaint investigation free of charge.
The Israel Ombudsman, vulnerable communities and Covid-19:
The Office of the Ombusman adopted flexible and creative measures to make its services accessible to the public, to assist the complainants and optimize the investigation during the covid-19 pandemic.
Summary:
It is precisely those people belonging to communities deserving special attention who have difficulty exercising their rights and managing in the state's bureaucratic maze. The ombudsman institution plays an important social role in making the services provided by the state accessible to these people and it must be proactive in reaching out to these people and helping them overcome obstacles and barriers.