Vital Zinger | SOCIAL ACTIVISM

Social Activism

My Activism and leadership experience started almost 30 years ago, when i got paralyzed in both legs and none of the doctors thought that I'll ever be able to walk. Fortunately, my parents didn't give up, and continued to look for various rehabilitation treatments. Their determination paid off because when I started 1st grade, aged 5, I did it on crutches, standing tall, walking step by step, against all odds.

That was the 1st time I realized that when you have a goal you believe in, and you work long enough and hard enough to achieve it – no one and nothing can stop you.

Never give up and never let anyone decide for you what you can or can't do.

A few more crucial life-lessons that I learned from that experience are that we all have the power to shape our reality and create our future; that if you want to achieve something or make a change – take the lead and make it happen instead of waiting for others to do that for you. And that the only way to be in charge of my life and fulfill myself is to take responsibility and to be active about it.

As a very active kid and teenager, I decided to impact and positively change not only my life but also the lives of many others who didn’t have the voice, the means or the ability to fight for their rights. I soon noticed that I have a deep and pure passion to promote social change in various fields of life and from that point on, until this very day, it's my calling in life.

When I was 15 y.o I succeeded to force my school to obey the law and build an elevator so that ill have access to the science labs upstairs. This achievement meant the world to me not only because I was able to study the subject that i wanted alongside my friends, but moreover – because I left an accessible high-school for many future students with disabilities that won't have to fight this fight again.

Later on, aged 18, I fought for my right to serve at the IDF, and led an accessibility revolution which eventually enabled me to serve with honors as an operation officer in a Black Hawk squadron. This revolution was super amazing because it also enabled many other soldiers with disabilities to serve in many new positions that were now accessible for them.

Aged 21, I ran for the Knesset to fight for the rights of people with disabilities, a fight I'm fighting non-stop for more than a decade now, by fighting stigmatic views, raising the awareness for social issues, pushing for social justice etc,. In the end, the fight is about the opportunity to make a difference and inspire others, and I strongly believe that the end result worth all the struggles along the way.

In the past 10 years, while constantly working hard to rehabilitate and maintain my physical abilities, reaching the highest achievements in my Paralympic career, and getting a LL.B. in law and a B.A. in government, my biggest priority in life is to promote social change in as many fields of life as possible, including education, army, employment, and leisure time.

Since 2005, I mentor kids and adults, I motivate and inspire people through videos lectures and talks, I lead and advise in Assistive Technology projects, I lead and participate in many various viral campaigns for raising social awareness, I'm working on opening more doors for people with disabilities in so-far-closed industries such as the media, the fashion, and the entertainment world, etc.. I feel that it's both my great honor and my highest calling in life.

Here are some of the recent videos and articles about my social activism,

Click on the relevant picture to watch / Read them

Motivational Video "Stand Up For Yourself!" ('Do You Know?' project)