Raksha Society for Children with Special Needs is a non-profit NGO dedicated to addressing the needs of children and young adults with special needs and working with their families towards rehabilitation and inclusion. The Raksha Society owes its inception to the encouragement and active participation of Dr. Reena Sen (presently the Director, Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy), Ms. Raksha was founded with four children and a staff of three in April, 1985. It was envisioned as a school for children with cerebral palsy along with services such as physiotherapy and special education. Soon, training was expanded to include children with mental retardation, autism, muscular dystrophy, learning disabilities and developmental delay. Due to the rapid increase in children and families requiring these services, we set up a Home-Based Training Centre, which invites parents of children with special needs to receive instruction and guidance for the management of their child. As the number of children increased, so did the need for trained personnel. This resulted in the setting up of the Raksha Institute of Special Education in 1993, which offers certificate courses and diplomas aimed at equipping professionals in the field of disability with the right skills and attitude for this work. Departments of Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech, Language and Communication Therapy, and Counseling and Behaviour Management were also instituted to enhance all aspects of the Society’s work. An out-reach programme was started at a second location, Vypeen Island, in 1996. As our young students became young adults, we were faced with a new problem - that of employment. Thus the Vocational Training Unit came into existence. The expansion and enhancement of Raksha’s services was a result of the enduring efforts and vision of the late Dr. Manjoo Menon. He served tirelessly as Raksha’s main inspiration and architect. Raksha is also indebted to Akira Nakagawa, a Japanese mystic for his generosity which resulted in Raksha acquiring its own premises in 1998 where it is currently located. Over three decades of working with special children has taught us many important things about disability which do not form part of any curriculum. New ideas and techniques, both homegrown and imported, have in recent years made significant contributions to the attitudes and techniques we adopt in our work. Raksha has grown tremendously from being just a Special School to a multi-faceted, multidisciplinary organization. Raksha has worked towards creating awareness about various disabilities in the community by conducting workshops and seminars. We have also made our mark in disability issues like barrier-free environment and inclusive education.
