Dreams Academy

 

Non Profit ID card: present your project/organisation/campaign

Questions answered by Dreams Academy’s staff.

– Where are you based? Istanbul, Turkey.

– What are you called? Dreams Academy, a project by the Alternative Life Association.

– What are you doing and why? We are on a journey to break-free of the social consturcts and obstacles that perpetuate the “disability problem” in Turkey, because in Turkey people with disabilities face social, cultural and architectural barriers that make them the invisible minority and keep them away from participation and inclusion in society.

– Do you have a website/email? www.dreamsacademy.org, info@dreamsacademy.org

– Do you have a Twitter/facebook link/name?

http://twitter.com/DuslerAkademisi, Dusler Akademisi

– What makes you so special? We are a self-sustaining innovative agent of social change.

 

The turning point

– How did you start? While studying in Germany, Ercan Tutal, President, Alternative Life Association and Project Coordinator, Dreams Academy, observed and became acutely aware of the gap that existed between the level of participation and inclusion of people with disabilities in German society and his home country, Turkey. In Germany people with disabilities were visible, they were not the “Other”. In Turkey people with disabilities faced social, cultural and architectural barriers that made them the invisible minority and kept them away from participation and inclusion in society. With no time to lose, Ercan Tutal looked to the Seas for inspiration and began his heroic quest. He embarked on a journey to places where no one had thought about going before. The first stop along the journey was the depths of the Red Sea. Ercan Tutal set out to introduce the world of underwater to people with disabilities. Since 1998, Ercan Tutal and his students have taken along with them around 2000 people with disabilities to discover “Diving is Freedom”. Ercan Tutal used the medium of water to demonstrate that an Alternative World free of barriers for differently abled people was possible. In this World gaps between the able and disabled bodies did not exist and eyes without sight had new visions.

– What keeps you going every day? The Story of the Sea Star: “A man was walking on a beach one day and saw someone who was in a hurry throwing sea stars into the sea. When he approached this person he realized the person was throwing the sea stars back into the water after they had been washed ashore. The man asked him: “Why are you throwing these sea stars in the water?” The person continued to do what he was doing and responded, “So that they can live.” This response surprised the man. “But there are thousands of sea stars washed ashore. It’s impossible for you to be able to throw all of these sea stars into the water. What are you doing, what difference is it really going to make?” The person picked up another sea star from the beach and threw it back into the water, “See, it made a huge difference for that one.”

– Who is your target? Socially disadvantaged youth and people with disabilities.

– How are you financed? Througha grant from our corporate sponsors; Vodafone Turkey Foundation, State Planning Organization and United Nations Development Program, as well as other corporations and institutions that sponsor our education programs.

 

The challenge

– A proud moment? When the Social Inclusion Band, a music group made up of exceptional students of the Dreams Academy, was on stage for the first time with professional musicians at the Akbank Jazz Festival in 2009. It was a Dream come true for the young musicians of the Social Inclusion Band on their way to becoming professional musicians. The Social Inclusion Band was invited back to the Akbank Jazz Festival this year and has shared the stage with national and international professional musicians at highly prestigious venues in Istanbul such as Babylon, Ghetto and Ottosantral.

– A problem you face? Structural barriers at the State and government level that prevent progress. Organizations for people with disabilities are not organized effectively and we have to jump through many bureaucratic hoops. Physical barriers that impede accessibility. The city of Istanbul is not easily accessible for people with disabilities. These barriers create social exclusion and we try to break-free of these barriers, everyday.

– Your personal motto when things get hard? We have huge challenges in our minds: if we overcome the challenges in our minds, we’ll overcome everything else.

– Another cool project/organisation/campaign you would like to recommend? TaTuTa, Farming Exchange Program by Bugday: www.bugday.org/tatuta/?lang=EN and Experience Sharing Platform: www.gelecekdaha.net

www.dreamsacademy.org

 

Go to Vita Europe Non Profit ID card on Your identity – a chance for legal rights.

Click here to go to the full list of all our Vita Europe ID cards.