Tamana (NGO)


Tamana is a non-profit voluntary organization registered in early March 1984 in India, comprising three special education centers, a training cell and a research center to support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The organization's work is recognized by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Govt. of India, Department of Social Welfare; Govt. of NCT Delhi, Rehabilitation Council of India and is registered with the National Trust. Tamana also has a Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council since 2005.
The organization Founder Dr. Shayama Chona was awarded the Padmashree, a Padmabhushan and two national awards for her contribution in the disability sector, in India.

Aim and vision

Tamana offers an individual educational program for every student, aimed at social and economic independence, which incorporates special education, a regular academic program through the NIOS, therapeutic interventions and vocational training. Each Centre of Tamana offers speech, occupational therapy and physiotherapy, life skills training, computer education, music and dance, weight management and physical fitness, sports and extracurricular activities, counseling, behaviour modification, diagnostics and assessment facilities, and family counseling.
Under the cherished dream of seeing each child become an independent adult, the aims of the organization include:
• Providing therapy and counseling to children and their families.
• Maintaining a motivated, dedicated and quality conscious team of professionals.
• Contributing to the training and development of manpower in the field of special education.
• Providing legal advocacy services.
• Introducing relevant technology to enhance the effectiveness of special education.
• Conducting research in key areas of special education and training.
• Creating and enhancing greater public awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with
special needs.
• Networking with organizations worldwide.

Special Schools

Tamana Special School

The first branch of Tamana, the Tamana Special School, was inaugurated by the late Lady Diana, the Princess of Wales, on 12 February 1992 and the foundation stone was laid by the then High Commissioner of Britain, Sir David Goodall. The Special School caters to the individual needs of 115 children coming from all strata of the society, ranging in age from 4 to 17. This school focuses on overall development of the child, depending on needs as well as potential. Functional academics are imparted with parallel intervention with allied therapies depending on the needs of the child. The regular school curriculum is a vital reference point for students who have potential to be included in a regular classroom or join the open school program.

Nai Disha Vocational Center

With the realization that the young adults at Tamana have to be equipped with skills to adapt appropriately to the needs of adulthood and thereby function as an independent whole, physically and emotionally, Nai Disha was conceived. The program aims to create an infrastructure which ensures a smooth graduation from school to the outside world, for the young adult and the family. It also aims to ensure training and placements of young adults in various vocations and organizations.
Major skills targeted include:
Tamana was the first institution in India to recognize autism as a disability distinct from others and to start programs for autistic spectrum disorder in 1985. The Autism Center - School of Hope is India's first rehabilitation and research center for autistic individuals, providing holistic services under one roof – a special school, sensory integration clinic, early intervention center, diagnostic center, research cell and outreach cell.
His Excellency Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, former president of India, inaugurated the School of Hope, a full-fledged school dedicated to children with autism, on 19 August 2003.
The highlights of the program offered are:
Tamana has been recognized as a special study center by the Rehabilitation Council of India and IGNOU since 1994. The courses offered are:
Tamana, in collaboration with Deakin University, Australia, launched TOBY Playpad Laboratory on 5 July 2013 at its Autism Center, School of Hope. TOBY is an iPad-based, therapist-and-parent application for early intervention therapy with children with autism.
In association with Deakin University, Australia for TOBY, Tamana won the Victorian International Education Award for Excellence in International Education – Research Engagement in 2013.

Fundraising

Tamana organizes annual fashion shows as part of its fundraising. Leading fashion designers of the country have participated in the show, including Manish Arora, Rajesh Pratap Singh, Ritu Kumar, Suneet Varma, Mira and Muzzaffar Ali, J.J. Vallaya, Satya Paul, Abhishek Gupta and Nandita Basu, Namrata Joshipura, Rohit Gandhi + Rahul Khanna. Students from the Tamana Special Schools walk the ramp hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder with the professional models.
The objective of the event is to create and ensure public awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with special needs.
Tamana organizes its annual winter carnival for showcasing the products developed by the students with special needs and for providing a platform to market them. The aim of the event is to create awareness about the differently abled and to promote their social integration.

Honours, awards and recognition