The Red Cross provides a number of valuable disability services including:

• The 'Ofa Tui Amanakai Centre for Special Education;
• The Hearing and Speached Impared Unit;
• The Alonga Residential Centre for Adults with Disability
• Australian Volunteer Physiotherapist and Advocacy Officer
  

'Ofa Tui Amanakai Centre for Special Education (OTA)

The OTA was established in 1968 upon instigation from the Late Queen Salote, and continues to have three major programs running to help support people living with disability in Tonga.

1) Primary School

The OTA Primary School Program is aimed at providing an education for children with disability that will allow them to achieve their greatest potential in being contributing, involved, accepted, and happy members of the Tongan community. The education has a strong focus on life skills and vocational tasks.

OTA lesson in progress

2) Home Visitation Program

The home visitation program runs on a daily basis and is provided to supply support to people with disability and their families in their homes. This program provides advice and support in areas such as inclusion, physical and speech therapy, hygiene, community involvement, and family support.

3) Early Intervention Program

Early Intervention is essential to assist parents learn how to get their child to the next step. The first years of a child’s life are crucial to their long-term development. Early Intervention provides the vital support and advice to ensure that the child with disability will develop as much as they are able. The OTA Early Intervention Program runs once a week at the centre.

‘Akanesi at the OTA Early Intervention Program developing
skills which will help her to see better

The Hearing and Speech Impaired Unit

The Hearing and Speech Impaired Unit was established to provide children with hearing and speech impairments with the specific education they require to function fully within the community. A large part of this education is the teaching of sign language, so as the students are able to communicate with their teachers, each other, their families, and people in the wider community. The sign language used in Tonga is based heavily on the sign language used throughout Australia , New Zealand , and the rest of the Pacific Nations.

Space for Hearing and Speech photo 1

Space for Hearing and Speech photo 2

The 'Alonga Centre

The Alonga Centre is a residential facility for adults with disabilities. It provides an accessible and prejudice free environment that allows it’s residents greater access to services and functions provided for people with disability in Tonga . There are plans to re-establish the Centre as a Vocational Training Centre for people with disability .

Space for Alonga photo 1

Space for Alonga photo 2

Physiotherapist and Disability Advocacy Officer

In association with Australian Volunteers International, the Red Cross employs a Physiotherapist and Disability Advocacy Officer, Dimity Taylor.

Dimity has assisted stakeholders to develop and implement the first National Disability Survey for Tonga which commenced in March 2005.

Dimity's other roles include physical and rehabilitative therapy and advocacy for national disabilty issues. She can be contacted via email: dimitytaylor@hotmail.com

Physiotherapist Dimity Taylor assisting Finau at the Tonga vs Samoa Disabled Athletics Championship in November 2004.