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Special Olympics

January 21, 2023

For global sports competitions organized by Special Olympics, see Special Olympics World Games.

Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities and physical disabilities, providing year-round training and activities to 5 million participants and Unified Sports partners in 172 countries.[2] Special Olympics competitions are held every day, all around the world—including local, national and regional competitions, adding up to more than 100,000 events a year.[3] Like the International Paralympic Committee, the Special Olympics organization is recognized by the International Olympic Committee; however, unlike the Paralympic Games, Special Olympics World Games are not held in the same year nor in conjunction with the Olympic Games.

Special Olympics
FoundedJuly 20, 1968; 54 years ago (1968-07-20)
FounderEunice Kennedy Shriver
Location
OriginsCamp Shriver
Area served
International
Official language
English
and the host country's official language when necessary
Key people
Timothy Shriver (Chairman of the Board)
Mary Davis (Chief Executive Officer)
William P. Alford (Lead Director & Vice Chair)
Angelo Moratti (Vice Chair)
Loretta Claiborne (Vice Chair)[1]
WebsiteOfficial website

The Special Olympics World Games is a major event put on by the Special Olympics committee. The World Games alternate between summer and winter games, in two-year cycles, recurring every fourth year. The first games were held on July 20, 1968, in Chicago, Illinois, with about 1000 athletes from the U.S. and Canada. At those first games, honorary event chair Eunice Kennedy Shriver announced the formation of the Special Olympics organization. International participation expanded in subsequent games. In 2003, the first summer games held outside the United States were in Dublin, Ireland with 7000 athletes from 150 countries. The most recent World Summer Games were held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, from March 14 to 21, 2019. This was the first Special Olympics World Games held in the Middle East. The next World Summer Games will be held in Berlin, Germany, between June 16 to 25, 2023. This will be the first time for Germany to host the Special Olympics World Games.[4]

The first World Winter Games were held in 1977 in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, US. Austria hosted the first Winter Games outside the United States in 1993. The most recent Special Olympics World Winter Games were held in Graz, Schladming and Ramsau, Austria, from March 14, 2017, to March 25, 2017 (see also 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games). During the World Winter Games of 2013 in Pyeongchang, South Korea,[5] the first Special Olympics Global Development Summit was held on "Ending the Cycle of Poverty and Exclusion for People with Intellectual Disabilities", gathering government officials, activists and business leaders from around the world.[6]

History

Eunice Kennedy Shriver believed that mentally handicapped people could be happy and live meaningful lives. When her mother took her sister, Rosemary, to a doctor, they were told that Rosemary’s situation was hopeless. Eunice founded the Special Olympics to positively change the public’s attitude towards mentally handicapped people.[7] In June 1963, Eunice Kennedy Shriver started a day camp called Camp Shriver for children with intellectual and physical disabilities at her home in Potomac, Maryland.[8] The camp sought to address the concern that disabled children had very little opportunity to participate in organised athletic events. With Camp Shriver as an example, Kennedy Shriver, head of the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation and a member of President John F. Kennedy's Panel on Mental Retardation, promoted the concept of involvement in physical activity and other opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities.[9] Camp Shriver became an annual event, and the Kennedy Foundation gave grants to universities, recreation departments, and community centers to hold similar camps.

Also in the early 1960s, Kennedy Shriver wrote an article in the Saturday Evening Post, revealing that her sister Rosemary, also President John F. Kennedy's sister, was born with intellectual disabilities.[10] This frank article about the President's family was seen as a "watershed" in changing public attitudes toward people with intellectual disabilities.[11] Rosemary's disability provided Kennedy Shriver with an overall vision that people with intellectual disabilities could compete and at the same time unify together in public.[12] It has often been said that Rosemary's disability was Eunice's inspiration to form Special Olympics (as the movement came to be called), but she told The New York Times in 1995 that that was not exactly the case. "The games should not focus on one individual," she said.[13]

In 1958, Dr. James N. Oliver of England had conducted pioneering research, including a ground-breaking study showing that physical exercise and activities for children with intellectual disabilities had positive effects that also carried over into the classroom ("The Effects of Physical Conditioning Exercises and Activities on the Mental Characteristics of Educationally Sub-Normal Boys, British Journal of Educational Psychology, XXVIII, June 1958).[14] Oliver in 1964 served as a consultant to Camp Shriver.[15]

Let me win but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt

– Special Olympics athlete oath[16]

The 1964 research of Dr. Frank Hayden, a Canadian physical education professor from London, Ontario, demonstrated that intellectually disabled people can and should participate in physical exercise. He believed that the benefits of such activity would be seen in all areas of the athletes' lives.[17] With the help of a local school that offered space in its gym, Hayden started one of the first public organised sports programs, floor hockey for individuals with intellectual disabilities, in the fall of 1968.[18] In the mid-1960s, Hayden also developed an idea for national games, and his work brought him to the attention of the Kennedy Foundation. He shared his ideas for national games, while taking a teaching sabbatical and working for the foundation.[19]

The first Special Olympics games were held on July 20, 1968, at Soldier Field in Chicago. About 1,000 athletes from the U.S. and Canada took part in the one-day event, which was a joint venture by the Kennedy Foundation and the Chicago Park District.[20] Anne McGlone Burke, then a physical education teacher with the Chicago Park District,[21] began with the idea for a one-time, city-wide, Olympic-style athletic competition for people with special needs. Burke approached the Kennedy Foundation in 1967 to help fund the event. Kennedy Shriver, in turn, encouraged her to expand the idea beyond the city and the foundation provided a grant of $25,000.[22] When Burke had approached another charity for funding, she was told, "You should be ashamed of yourself putting these kinds of kids on display".[23] The advisory committee to the Chicago Special Olympics included Dr. William Freeberg from Southern Illinois University, Dr. Hayden of the Kennedy Foundation, Dr. Arthur Peavy, Burke, William McFetridge, and Stephen Kelly of the Chicago Park District, as well as, Olympic decathlon champion Rafer Johnson. Kennedy Shriver was honorary chair. At the July 1968 games, Kennedy Shriver announced the formation of Special Olympics and that more games would be held every two years as a "Biennial International Special Olympics".[20] Hayden served as the games executive director through 1972, and then in international development for the games.[19]

In 1971, The U.S. Olympic Committee gave the Special Olympics official approval to use the name "Olympics".[8] France sent the first athletes from outside North America to the second games held in 1970. The third games in 1972 saw 10 nations send athletes[24] The first Special Olympics World Winter Games were held in February 1977 in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, U.S.[8] The United Nations declared 1986, the year of the Special Olympics.[25] In 1988, the Special Olympics was officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).[8] The first World Games held outside the U.S., were the winter games of 1993 in Salzburg and Schladming, Austria. The Austrian president was the first head of state to personally open the games.[26]

In 1997, Healthy Athletes became an official Special Olympics initiative, offering health information and screenings to Special Olympics athletes worldwide.[8][27] By 2010, the Healthy Athletes program had given free health screenings and treatment to more than 1 million people with intellectual disabilities.

 
The crowd at the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games Opening Ceremonies in Croke Park, Dublin, Ireland

The 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games – the first summer held outside of the United States – took place in Dublin, Ireland. Approximately 7,000 athletes from 150 countries competed over 18 disciplines. The Dublin games were also the first to have their own opening and closing ceremonies broadcast live. President of Ireland Mary McAleese performed the ceremonial duties. The 2003 games dramatically changed the perceptions and attitudes of international society regarding the abilities and limitations of people with intellectual disabilities. The opening ceremony of the 2003 Games has been described by President McAleese as "a time when Ireland was at its superb best".[28]

On October 30, 2004, President George W. Bush signed into law the "Special Olympics Sport and Empowerment Act," Public Law 108–406. The bill authorized funding for its Healthy Athletes, Education, and Worldwide Expansion programs.[29] Co-sponsored by Representatives Roy Blunt (R-MO), and Steny Hoyer (D-MD), and Senators Rick Santorum (R-PA) and Harry Reid (D-NV), the bills were passed by unanimous consent in both chambers. In July 2006, the first Special Olympics USA Games were held at Iowa State University. Teams from all 50 states and the District of Columbia participated.[30]

In May 2016, Mary Davis of Dublin, Ireland, was named chief executive officer. She is the first CEO from outside the U.S. in the organization's history.[31] From 2017 to 2019, US Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos attempted to eliminate federal funding for the Special Olympics. Each year the attempt was rejected by Congress, and the public outcry following a third annual attempt resulted in the funding being maintained in 2019.[32] As part of the Special Olympics 50th Anniversary celebration in 2018, a new mission called the “Inclusion Revolution” was launched.[citation needed]

Symbols

The Special Olympics logo is based on the sculpture "Joy and Happiness to All the Children of the World" by Zurab Tsereteli which was a gift to SUNY Brockport when the university hosted the Special Olympics in 1979.[33][34] The logo has gone through several changes in its lifetime. The "stick figure" is an abstract but humanistic form designed to convey the impression of movement and activity. The logo is a symbol of growth, confidence and joy among children and adults with disabilities who are learning coordination, mastering skills, participating in competitions and preparing themselves for richer, more productive lives.

In 2018, the Chicago Park District dedicated the "Eternal Flame of Hope" in honor of the Special Olympics. The 30 foot (9.1 m) sculpture by Richard Hunt stands in a plaza next to Soldier Field, where the first games were held 50 years earlier in 1968.[35][36] The Flame of Hope is the name given to the torch that is carried to and lit at Special Olympics games.[37]

Hosts

Special Olympics World Games hosts
Year Summer Special Olympics World Games Winter Special Olympics World Games
No. Host Date(s) No. Host Date(s)
1968 1   Chicago, United States July 20 – August 3
1970 2   Chicago, United States August 13 – 15
1972 3   Los Angeles, United States August 13 – 18
1975 4   Mount Pleasant, United States August 8 – 13
1977 1   Steamboat Springs, United States February 5 – 11
1979 5   Brockport, United States August 8 – 13
1981 2   Smugglers' Notch and Stowe, United States March 8 – 13
1983 6   Baton Rouge, United States July 12 – 18
1985 3   Park City, United States March 24 – 29
1987 7   Notre Dame and South Bend, United States July 31 – August 1
1989 4   Lake Tahoe and Reno, United States April 1 – 8
1991 8   Minneapolis and Saint Paul, United States July 19 – 27
1993 5   Salzburg and Schladming, Austria March 20 – 27
1995 9   New Haven, United States July 1 – 9
1997 6   Collingwood and Toronto, Canada February 1 – 8
1999 10   Chapel Hill, Durham and Raleigh, United States June 26 – July 4
2001 7   Anchorage, United States March 4 – 11
2003 11   Dublin, Ireland June 21 – 29
2005 8   Nagano, Japan February 26 – March 4
2007 12   Shanghai, China October 2 – 11
2009 9   Boise, United States(1) February 6 – 13
2011 13   Athens, Greece June 25 – July 4
2013 10   Pyeongchang, South Korea January 29 – February 5
2015 14   Los Angeles, United States July 25 – August 2
2017 11   Graz and Schladming, Austria March 14 – 25
2019 15   Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates March 14 – 21
2022 -   Kazan, Russia cancelled(2)
2023 16   Berlin, Germany June 16 – 25
2025 12   Turin, Italy January 29 – February 9
2027 17   Perth, Australia
2029 13   Chur, Switzerland

1 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, was originally selected to host the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games.[38] Due to financial problems and the constant delay in reconstruction of the venues of the 1984 Winter Olympics, the city gave up hosting the Games, and Boise, Idaho, was invited to host the event.[39]

2 It was planned that Åre and Östersund, Sweden would host the 2021 World Winter Games between February 2 to 13, 2021.[40] However, on December 20, 2019, it was announced that the Swedish Paralympic Committee vetoed the necessary financing for the continuity of the event in the country, invalidating a promise made during the bid process, Special Olympics was forced to delay the event and in 2020 the Covid 19 pandemic arose. Kazan, Russia was announced winter host in 2023 on June 29, 2020.[41][42] On March 4, 2022, it was announced that the Kazan games would be cancelled due to safety and economic concerns arising from the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[43]

National Programs

There are 204 countries and territories, grouped into 7 geographic regions (Updated at 17 Dec 2021).Due to legal issues,eight national programs don't use the official names of their countries in English are using their official names in their local languages. :[44]

Number Region Countries
1 Africa 40
2 Asia-Pacific 35
3 East Asia 6
4 Eurasia 58
5 Latin America 20
6 MENA 22
7 North America 23
Total Special Olympics 204

Africa (40)

Asia-Pacific (35)

East Asia (6)

Eurasia (58)

Latin America (20)

Middle East and North Africa (22)

North America (23)

Participation

Special Olympics programs are available for athletes free of charge. More than 5.7 million athletes and Unified Sports partners are involved in Special Olympics sports training and competition in 172 countries.[45] The organization offers year-round training and competition in 32 Olympic-style summer and winter sports.[46]

 
Special Olympics World Winter Games 2017 reception Vienna, Austria

People with intellectual disabilities are encouraged to join Special Olympics for the physical activity, which helps lower the rate of cardiovascular disease and obesity, among other health benefits. Also, they gain many emotional and psychological benefits, including self-confidence, social competence, building greater athletic skills and higher self-esteem.[47] Exercise has also been shown to be related to a decrease in anxiety levels amongst people with intellectual disabilities.[48]

To participate in Special Olympics, a person must be at least 8 years old and identified by an agency or professional as having one of the following conditions: intellectual disabilities, cognitive delays as measured by formal assessment, or significant learning or vocational problems due to cognitive delay that require or have required specially designed instruction.[49] For young people with and without intellectual disabilities ages 2–7, Special Olympics has a Young Athletes program—an inclusive sport and play program with a focus on activities that are important to mental and physical growth. Children engage in games and activities that develop motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Parents say their children in Young Athletes also develop better social skills. The confidence boost makes it easier for them to play and talk with other children on the playground and elsewhere.[50] A study by the Center for Social Development and Education (University of Massachusetts, Boston) found that the activities also had the effect of helping children with intellectual disabilities learn routines and approaches to learning, along with how to follow rules and directions.[51]

Families can also get involved with the Special Olympics experience. Family members support their athletes to the best of their ability, which may involve attending or volunteering at the events. By being involved they can boost their athlete's self-esteem and will be looked at as a constant source of encouragement.[52]

Volunteers and supporters are an integral part of Special Olympics—and millions of people around the world are committed to its programs. Some are sponsors or donors. Many others are coaches, event volunteers and fans.[53]

Coaches help the athletes be the best they can be regardless of ability—or disability. Special Olympics trains coaches through the Coaching Excellence program, which includes partnering with sports organizations. Special Olympics volunteers are introduced to lifetime friendships and great rewards.[53]

There are many events in which families and volunteers participate, but the biggest event is the Law Enforcement Torch Run, which involves police chiefs, police officers, secret service, FBI agents, military police, sheriffs, state troopers, prison guards, and other law enforcement personnel assembling to raise awareness and funds for Special Olympics. Ahead of a Special Olympics competition, law enforcement officers carry the torch in intervals along a planned route covering most of the state or country to the site of the opening ceremonies of the chapter or Special Olympics World Summer or Winter Games. Then they pass the torch to a Special Olympics athlete and together they run up to the cauldron and light it, signifying the beginning of the games.[54]

The Special Olympics athlete's oath, which was first introduced by Eunice Kennedy Shriver at the inaugural Special Olympics international games in Chicago in 1968,[55] is "Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt." The origin of the oath came from Herbert J. Kramer, then Public Relations Advisor to the Kennedy Foundation.[56][57]

Sports offered

In 1968, track and field, swimming, and floor hockey were the first three official sports offered by Special Olympics. As in the Olympics, events are introduced in training and then added to the competitive schedule, and from there the list of sports and events continued to grow.

Special Olympics has more than 30 Olympic-type individual and team sports that provide meaningful training and competition opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities. As of 2016, these are:[58]

Other sports and sports-related programs include the Motor Activity Training Program[58] and beach volleyball. Availability of sports can depend on location and season.

A key difference between Special Olympics competitions and those of other sports organizations is that athletes of all ability levels are encouraged to participate. Competitions are structured so that athletes compete with other athletes of similar ability in equitable divisions.[59] An athlete's ability is the primary factor in divisioning Special Olympics competitions. The ability of an athlete or team is determined by an entry score from a prior competition or the result of a seeding round or preliminary event at the competition itself. Other factors that are significant in establishing competitive divisions are age and gender.

At competitions, medals are awarded for first, second, and third place in each event, and ribbons are awarded to athletes who finish in fourth through eighth place.[60]

Unified Sports

In recent years, Special Olympics has pioneered the concept of Unified Sports, bringing together athletes with and without intellectual disabilities as teammates.[61] The basic concept is that training together and playing together can create a path to friendship and understanding. The program has expanded beyond the U.S. and North America: more than 1.4 million people worldwide now take part in Special Olympics Unified Sports.[62] The goal is to break down stereotypes about people with intellectual disabilities and promote unity.[61]

Building on this, Special Olympics launched "The Revolution Is Inclusion," inviting people worldwide to sign the Inclusion Pledge.[63] This campaign aimed at celebrating all abilities began as Special Olympics marked its 50th anniversary.[64]

A recent study of Special Olympics Unified Sports in Serbia, Poland, Ukraine, Germany and Hungary documented the benefits of Unified Sports, including the effect of changing attitudes toward people with intellectual disabilities. As one Unified Sports partner said, "I am ashamed to say that I used to laugh at these people (people with intellectual disabilities), now I will tell anybody to stop laughing if I see it and I will stand up for people if I can."[65] Other evaluations have also shown Unified Sports to be successful in building self-esteem and confidence in people with intellectual disabilities and also as a way to improve understanding and acceptance of people with intellectual disabilities among their non-disabled peers.[65]

The Special Olympics Europe Eurasia Regional Research centre is based at the University of Ulster Jordanstown.[66]

As part of their 50th anniversary, the Special Olympics created the first Unified Cup.[67] The first competition is a soccer tournament with 440 athletes from 24 countries.[68][69]

Unified Robotics, a program that pairs Special Olympics students with FIRST Robotics students to build robots, began in 2016, and has been bringing opportunities for technological skill development to Special Olympics students in Washington state, Arizona, and in other regions since. Special Olympics Arizona also promotes inclusion through Unified Arts programming including robotics, music, photography, art competitions, and gardening.[70]

Healthy Athletes

As Special Olympics began to grow, staffers and volunteers began to notice that athletes—children and adults with intellectual disabilities—also had many untreated health problems. In 1997, Special Olympics began an initiative called Healthy Athletes, which offers health screenings to athletes in need.[71]

Healthy Athletes currently offers health screenings in eight areas: Fit Feet (podiatry), FUNfitness (physical therapy), Health Promotion (better health and well-being), Healthy Hearing (audiology), MedFest (sports physical exam), Opening Eyes (vision), Special Smiles (dentistry), Strong Minds (Emotional Health). Screenings educate athletes on health and also identify problems that may need additional follow-up. For example, the FUNfitness Program assess flexibility, strength, balance, and aerobic fitness of the athlete. Following the screen, the physical therapist would provide instructions on how to optimize their physical fitness in the areas screened.[72]

Since the Healthy Athletes program began, Special Olympics has become the largest global public health organization dedicated to serving people with intellectual disabilities. So far, more than 1.9 million Healthy Athletes screenings have been conducted for people with intellectual disabilities all around the world.[71]

The Special Olympics health initiative has attracted high-profile partners, including the Hear the World Foundation, which screened more than 1,000 athletes during the most recent World Winter Games in Korea; more than 200 of them were found to have hearing loss.[73][74]

In 2012, the Special Olympics Healthy Communities initiative launched in eight countries—Kazakhstan, Malawi, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Romania, South Africa and Thailand, as well as six U.S. states. The goal is to improve the health and well-being of people with intellectual disabilities and allow them to reach their full potential.[46]

Criticism

Scholar Keith Storey summarized common objections in a 2004 article in Journal of Disability Policy Studies. One criticism directed at the organization pertains to the role that corporate sponsors play in it, which critics feel has led to degrading paternalism toward athletic ability. While corporate fundraising makes the games possible, critics argue, it provides good public relations for the sponsors, but does not result in integration of people with disabilities into the workforce at those companies. People with disabilities are also not widely represented on the Special Olympics' board of directors, as only two members have disabilities. This has been criticized as a double standard that reflects poorly on the disability rights movement where people with disabilities control the service delivery system rather than relying on people without disabilities.[75]

See also

References

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Further reading

External links

 
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January 21, 2023
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For global sports competitions organized by Special Olympics see Special Olympics World Games Special Olympics is the world s largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities and physical disabilities providing year round training and activities to 5 million participants and Unified Sports partners in 172 countries 2 Special Olympics competitions are held every day all around the world including local national and regional competitions adding up to more than 100 000 events a year 3 Like the International Paralympic Committee the Special Olympics organization is recognized by the International Olympic Committee however unlike the Paralympic Games Special Olympics World Games are not held in the same year nor in conjunction with the Olympic Games Special OlympicsFoundedJuly 20 1968 54 years ago 1968 07 20 FounderEunice Kennedy ShriverLocation1133 19th Street N W Washington D C U S 20036OriginsCamp ShriverArea servedInternationalOfficial languageEnglish and the host country s official language when necessaryKey peopleTimothy Shriver Chairman of the Board Mary Davis Chief Executive Officer William P Alford Lead Director amp Vice Chair Angelo Moratti Vice Chair Loretta Claiborne Vice Chair 1 WebsiteOfficial websiteThe Special Olympics World Games is a major event put on by the Special Olympics committee The World Games alternate between summer and winter games in two year cycles recurring every fourth year The first games were held on July 20 1968 in Chicago Illinois with about 1000 athletes from the U S and Canada At those first games honorary event chair Eunice Kennedy Shriver announced the formation of the Special Olympics organization International participation expanded in subsequent games In 2003 the first summer games held outside the United States were in Dublin Ireland with 7000 athletes from 150 countries The most recent World Summer Games were held in Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates from March 14 to 21 2019 This was the first Special Olympics World Games held in the Middle East The next World Summer Games will be held in Berlin Germany between June 16 to 25 2023 This will be the first time for Germany to host the Special Olympics World Games 4 The first World Winter Games were held in 1977 in Steamboat Springs Colorado US Austria hosted the first Winter Games outside the United States in 1993 The most recent Special Olympics World Winter Games were held in Graz Schladming and Ramsau Austria from March 14 2017 to March 25 2017 see also 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games During the World Winter Games of 2013 in Pyeongchang South Korea 5 the first Special Olympics Global Development Summit was held on Ending the Cycle of Poverty and Exclusion for People with Intellectual Disabilities gathering government officials activists and business leaders from around the world 6 Contents 1 History 2 Symbols 3 Hosts 4 National Programs 4 1 Africa 40 4 2 Asia Pacific 35 4 3 East Asia 6 4 4 Eurasia 58 4 5 Latin America 20 4 6 Middle East and North Africa 22 4 7 North America 23 5 Participation 6 Sports offered 7 Unified Sports 8 Healthy Athletes 9 Criticism 10 See also 11 References 12 Further reading 13 External linksHistory EditEunice Kennedy Shriver believed that mentally handicapped people could be happy and live meaningful lives When her mother took her sister Rosemary to a doctor they were told that Rosemary s situation was hopeless Eunice founded the Special Olympics to positively change the public s attitude towards mentally handicapped people 7 In June 1963 Eunice Kennedy Shriver started a day camp called Camp Shriver for children with intellectual and physical disabilities at her home in Potomac Maryland 8 The camp sought to address the concern that disabled children had very little opportunity to participate in organised athletic events With Camp Shriver as an example Kennedy Shriver head of the Joseph P Kennedy Jr Foundation and a member of President John F Kennedy s Panel on Mental Retardation promoted the concept of involvement in physical activity and other opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities 9 Camp Shriver became an annual event and the Kennedy Foundation gave grants to universities recreation departments and community centers to hold similar camps Also in the early 1960s Kennedy Shriver wrote an article in the Saturday Evening Post revealing that her sister Rosemary also President John F Kennedy s sister was born with intellectual disabilities 10 This frank article about the President s family was seen as a watershed in changing public attitudes toward people with intellectual disabilities 11 Rosemary s disability provided Kennedy Shriver with an overall vision that people with intellectual disabilities could compete and at the same time unify together in public 12 It has often been said that Rosemary s disability was Eunice s inspiration to form Special Olympics as the movement came to be called but she told The New York Times in 1995 that that was not exactly the case The games should not focus on one individual she said 13 In 1958 Dr James N Oliver of England had conducted pioneering research including a ground breaking study showing that physical exercise and activities for children with intellectual disabilities had positive effects that also carried over into the classroom The Effects of Physical Conditioning Exercises and Activities on the Mental Characteristics of Educationally Sub Normal Boys British Journal of Educational Psychology XXVIII June 1958 14 Oliver in 1964 served as a consultant to Camp Shriver 15 Let me win but if I cannot win let me be brave in the attempt Special Olympics athlete oath 16 The 1964 research of Dr Frank Hayden a Canadian physical education professor from London Ontario demonstrated that intellectually disabled people can and should participate in physical exercise He believed that the benefits of such activity would be seen in all areas of the athletes lives 17 With the help of a local school that offered space in its gym Hayden started one of the first public organised sports programs floor hockey for individuals with intellectual disabilities in the fall of 1968 18 In the mid 1960s Hayden also developed an idea for national games and his work brought him to the attention of the Kennedy Foundation He shared his ideas for national games while taking a teaching sabbatical and working for the foundation 19 The first Special Olympics games were held on July 20 1968 at Soldier Field in Chicago About 1 000 athletes from the U S and Canada took part in the one day event which was a joint venture by the Kennedy Foundation and the Chicago Park District 20 Anne McGlone Burke then a physical education teacher with the Chicago Park District 21 began with the idea for a one time city wide Olympic style athletic competition for people with special needs Burke approached the Kennedy Foundation in 1967 to help fund the event Kennedy Shriver in turn encouraged her to expand the idea beyond the city and the foundation provided a grant of 25 000 22 When Burke had approached another charity for funding she was told You should be ashamed of yourself putting these kinds of kids on display 23 The advisory committee to the Chicago Special Olympics included Dr William Freeberg from Southern Illinois University Dr Hayden of the Kennedy Foundation Dr Arthur Peavy Burke William McFetridge and Stephen Kelly of the Chicago Park District as well as Olympic decathlon champion Rafer Johnson Kennedy Shriver was honorary chair At the July 1968 games Kennedy Shriver announced the formation of Special Olympics and that more games would be held every two years as a Biennial International Special Olympics 20 Hayden served as the games executive director through 1972 and then in international development for the games 19 In 1971 The U S Olympic Committee gave the Special Olympics official approval to use the name Olympics 8 France sent the first athletes from outside North America to the second games held in 1970 The third games in 1972 saw 10 nations send athletes 24 The first Special Olympics World Winter Games were held in February 1977 in Steamboat Springs Colorado U S 8 The United Nations declared 1986 the year of the Special Olympics 25 In 1988 the Special Olympics was officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee IOC 8 The first World Games held outside the U S were the winter games of 1993 in Salzburg and Schladming Austria The Austrian president was the first head of state to personally open the games 26 In 1997 Healthy Athletes became an official Special Olympics initiative offering health information and screenings to Special Olympics athletes worldwide 8 27 By 2010 the Healthy Athletes program had given free health screenings and treatment to more than 1 million people with intellectual disabilities The crowd at the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games Opening Ceremonies in Croke Park Dublin Ireland The 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games the first summer held outside of the United States took place in Dublin Ireland Approximately 7 000 athletes from 150 countries competed over 18 disciplines The Dublin games were also the first to have their own opening and closing ceremonies broadcast live President of Ireland Mary McAleese performed the ceremonial duties The 2003 games dramatically changed the perceptions and attitudes of international society regarding the abilities and limitations of people with intellectual disabilities The opening ceremony of the 2003 Games has been described by President McAleese as a time when Ireland was at its superb best 28 On October 30 2004 President George W Bush signed into law the Special Olympics Sport and Empowerment Act Public Law 108 406 The bill authorized funding for its Healthy Athletes Education and Worldwide Expansion programs 29 Co sponsored by Representatives Roy Blunt R MO and Steny Hoyer D MD and Senators Rick Santorum R PA and Harry Reid D NV the bills were passed by unanimous consent in both chambers In July 2006 the first Special Olympics USA Games were held at Iowa State University Teams from all 50 states and the District of Columbia participated 30 In May 2016 Mary Davis of Dublin Ireland was named chief executive officer She is the first CEO from outside the U S in the organization s history 31 From 2017 to 2019 US Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos attempted to eliminate federal funding for the Special Olympics Each year the attempt was rejected by Congress and the public outcry following a third annual attempt resulted in the funding being maintained in 2019 32 As part of the Special Olympics 50th Anniversary celebration in 2018 a new mission called the Inclusion Revolution was launched citation needed Symbols EditThe Special Olympics logo is based on the sculpture Joy and Happiness to All the Children of the World by Zurab Tsereteli which was a gift to SUNY Brockport when the university hosted the Special Olympics in 1979 33 34 The logo has gone through several changes in its lifetime The stick figure is an abstract but humanistic form designed to convey the impression of movement and activity The logo is a symbol of growth confidence and joy among children and adults with disabilities who are learning coordination mastering skills participating in competitions and preparing themselves for richer more productive lives In 2018 the Chicago Park District dedicated the Eternal Flame of Hope in honor of the Special Olympics The 30 foot 9 1 m sculpture by Richard Hunt stands in a plaza next to Soldier Field where the first games were held 50 years earlier in 1968 35 36 The Flame of Hope is the name given to the torch that is carried to and lit at Special Olympics games 37 Hosts EditSpecial Olympics World Games hosts Year Summer Special Olympics World Games Winter Special Olympics World GamesNo Host Date s No Host Date s 1968 1 Chicago United States July 20 August 31970 2 Chicago United States August 13 151972 3 Los Angeles United States August 13 181975 4 Mount Pleasant United States August 8 131977 1 Steamboat Springs United States February 5 111979 5 Brockport United States August 8 131981 2 Smugglers Notch and Stowe United States March 8 131983 6 Baton Rouge United States July 12 181985 3 Park City United States March 24 291987 7 Notre Dame and South Bend United States July 31 August 11989 4 Lake Tahoe and Reno United States April 1 81991 8 Minneapolis and Saint Paul United States July 19 271993 5 Salzburg and Schladming Austria March 20 271995 9 New Haven United States July 1 91997 6 Collingwood and Toronto Canada February 1 81999 10 Chapel Hill Durham and Raleigh United States June 26 July 42001 7 Anchorage United States March 4 112003 11 Dublin Ireland June 21 292005 8 Nagano Japan February 26 March 42007 12 Shanghai China October 2 112009 9 Boise United States 1 February 6 132011 13 Athens Greece June 25 July 42013 10 Pyeongchang South Korea January 29 February 52015 14 Los Angeles United States July 25 August 22017 11 Graz and Schladming Austria March 14 252019 15 Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates March 14 212022 Kazan Russia cancelled 2 2023 16 Berlin Germany June 16 252025 12 Turin Italy January 29 February 92027 17 Perth Australia2029 13 Chur Switzerland1 Sarajevo Bosnia and Herzegovina was originally selected to host the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games 38 Due to financial problems and the constant delay in reconstruction of the venues of the 1984 Winter Olympics the city gave up hosting the Games and Boise Idaho was invited to host the event 39 2 It was planned that Are and Ostersund Sweden would host the 2021 World Winter Games between February 2 to 13 2021 40 However on December 20 2019 it was announced that the Swedish Paralympic Committee vetoed the necessary financing for the continuity of the event in the country invalidating a promise made during the bid process Special Olympics was forced to delay the event and in 2020 the Covid 19 pandemic arose Kazan Russia was announced winter host in 2023 on June 29 2020 41 42 On March 4 2022 it was announced that the Kazan games would be cancelled due to safety and economic concerns arising from the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine 43 National Programs EditThere are 204 countries and territories grouped into 7 geographic regions Updated at 17 Dec 2021 Due to legal issues eight national programs don t use the official names of their countries in English are using their official names in their local languages 44 Number Region Countries1 Africa 402 Asia Pacific 353 East Asia 64 Eurasia 585 Latin America 206 MENA 227 North America 23Total Special Olympics 204Africa 40 Edit Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cape Verde Chad Democratic Republic of Congo Republic of Congo Cote d Ivoire Equatorial Guinea Eswatini Ethiopia The Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea Bissau Kenya Lesotho Liberia Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritius Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda Senegal Seychelles South Africa South Sudan Tanzania Togo Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe Asia Pacific 35 Edit Afghanistan American Samoa Australia Bangladesh details India details Bhutan Brunei Cambodia Fiji Guam Indonesia Kiribati Laos Malaysia Maldives Marshall Islands Micronesia Myanmar Nauru Nepa New Zealand Japan Pakistan details Palau Papua New Guinea Pilipinas Samoa Serendib Singapore Solomon Islands Thailand Timor Leste Tonga Vanuatu Vietnam East Asia 6 Edit China Chinese Taipei Hong Kong Korea Macau Mongolia Eurasia 58 Edit Albania Andorra Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Belarus Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia details Faroe Islands Finland France Georgia Germany Gibraltar Great Britain details Hellas Hungary Iceland Ireland details Isle of Man Israel Italy Kazakhstan Kosovo details Kyrgyzstan Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg North Macedonia Malta Moldova Monaco Montenegro Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia San Marino Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Tajikistan Turkey Turkmenistan Ukraine Uzbekistan Latin America 20 Edit Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Costa Rica Cuba Dominican Republic Ecuador El Salvador Guatemala Honduras Mexico details Nicaragua Panama Paraguay Peru Puerto Rico Uruguay Venezuela Middle East and North Africa 22 Edit Algeria Bahrain Comoros Djibouti Egypt Iran Iraq Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Libya Mauritania Morocco Oman Palestine Qatar Saudi Arabia Sudan Syria Tunisia United Arab Emirates Yemen North America 23 Edit Antigua and Barbuda Aruba Bahamas Barbados Belize Bermuda Bonaire Canada details Cayman Islands Curacao Dominica Guadeloupe Guyana Haiti Jamaica Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Sint Maarten Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Suriname Trinidad and Tobago United States details US Virgin IslandsParticipation EditSpecial Olympics programs are available for athletes free of charge More than 5 7 million athletes and Unified Sports partners are involved in Special Olympics sports training and competition in 172 countries 45 The organization offers year round training and competition in 32 Olympic style summer and winter sports 46 Special Olympics World Winter Games 2017 reception Vienna Austria People with intellectual disabilities are encouraged to join Special Olympics for the physical activity which helps lower the rate of cardiovascular disease and obesity among other health benefits Also they gain many emotional and psychological benefits including self confidence social competence building greater athletic skills and higher self esteem 47 Exercise has also been shown to be related to a decrease in anxiety levels amongst people with intellectual disabilities 48 To participate in Special Olympics a person must be at least 8 years old and identified by an agency or professional as having one of the following conditions intellectual disabilities cognitive delays as measured by formal assessment or significant learning or vocational problems due to cognitive delay that require or have required specially designed instruction 49 For young people with and without intellectual disabilities ages 2 7 Special Olympics has a Young Athletes program an inclusive sport and play program with a focus on activities that are important to mental and physical growth Children engage in games and activities that develop motor skills and hand eye coordination Parents say their children in Young Athletes also develop better social skills The confidence boost makes it easier for them to play and talk with other children on the playground and elsewhere 50 A study by the Center for Social Development and Education University of Massachusetts Boston found that the activities also had the effect of helping children with intellectual disabilities learn routines and approaches to learning along with how to follow rules and directions 51 Families can also get involved with the Special Olympics experience Family members support their athletes to the best of their ability which may involve attending or volunteering at the events By being involved they can boost their athlete s self esteem and will be looked at as a constant source of encouragement 52 Volunteers and supporters are an integral part of Special Olympics and millions of people around the world are committed to its programs Some are sponsors or donors Many others are coaches event volunteers and fans 53 Coaches help the athletes be the best they can be regardless of ability or disability Special Olympics trains coaches through the Coaching Excellence program which includes partnering with sports organizations Special Olympics volunteers are introduced to lifetime friendships and great rewards 53 There are many events in which families and volunteers participate but the biggest event is the Law Enforcement Torch Run which involves police chiefs police officers secret service FBI agents military police sheriffs state troopers prison guards and other law enforcement personnel assembling to raise awareness and funds for Special Olympics Ahead of a Special Olympics competition law enforcement officers carry the torch in intervals along a planned route covering most of the state or country to the site of the opening ceremonies of the chapter or Special Olympics World Summer or Winter Games Then they pass the torch to a Special Olympics athlete and together they run up to the cauldron and light it signifying the beginning of the games 54 The Special Olympics athlete s oath which was first introduced by Eunice Kennedy Shriver at the inaugural Special Olympics international games in Chicago in 1968 55 is Let me win But if I cannot win let me be brave in the attempt The origin of the oath came from Herbert J Kramer then Public Relations Advisor to the Kennedy Foundation 56 57 Sports offered EditIn 1968 track and field swimming and floor hockey were the first three official sports offered by Special Olympics As in the Olympics events are introduced in training and then added to the competitive schedule and from there the list of sports and events continued to grow Special Olympics has more than 30 Olympic type individual and team sports that provide meaningful training and competition opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities As of 2016 update these are 58 Athletics Track and field Basketball Bocce Bowling Cricket Cycling Equestrian Figure skating Floorball Floor hockey Football Soccer Golf Gymnastics Artistic and rhythmic Handball Judo Karate Kayaking Netball Powerlifting Roller skating Sailing Snowboarding Snowshoe running Skiing Alpine and cross country Softball Speed skating Short track Swimming Pool and open water Table tennis Tennis Triathlon Volleyball Other sports and sports related programs include the Motor Activity Training Program 58 and beach volleyball Availability of sports can depend on location and season A key difference between Special Olympics competitions and those of other sports organizations is that athletes of all ability levels are encouraged to participate Competitions are structured so that athletes compete with other athletes of similar ability in equitable divisions 59 An athlete s ability is the primary factor in divisioning Special Olympics competitions The ability of an athlete or team is determined by an entry score from a prior competition or the result of a seeding round or preliminary event at the competition itself Other factors that are significant in establishing competitive divisions are age and gender At competitions medals are awarded for first second and third place in each event and ribbons are awarded to athletes who finish in fourth through eighth place 60 Unified Sports EditIn recent years Special Olympics has pioneered the concept of Unified Sports bringing together athletes with and without intellectual disabilities as teammates 61 The basic concept is that training together and playing together can create a path to friendship and understanding The program has expanded beyond the U S and North America more than 1 4 million people worldwide now take part in Special Olympics Unified Sports 62 The goal is to break down stereotypes about people with intellectual disabilities and promote unity 61 Building on this Special Olympics launched The Revolution Is Inclusion inviting people worldwide to sign the Inclusion Pledge 63 This campaign aimed at celebrating all abilities began as Special Olympics marked its 50th anniversary 64 A recent study of Special Olympics Unified Sports in Serbia Poland Ukraine Germany and Hungary documented the benefits of Unified Sports including the effect of changing attitudes toward people with intellectual disabilities As one Unified Sports partner said I am ashamed to say that I used to laugh at these people people with intellectual disabilities now I will tell anybody to stop laughing if I see it and I will stand up for people if I can 65 Other evaluations have also shown Unified Sports to be successful in building self esteem and confidence in people with intellectual disabilities and also as a way to improve understanding and acceptance of people with intellectual disabilities among their non disabled peers 65 The Special Olympics Europe Eurasia Regional Research centre is based at the University of Ulster Jordanstown 66 As part of their 50th anniversary the Special Olympics created the first Unified Cup 67 The first competition is a soccer tournament with 440 athletes from 24 countries 68 69 Unified Robotics a program that pairs Special Olympics students with FIRST Robotics students to build robots began in 2016 and has been bringing opportunities for technological skill development to Special Olympics students in Washington state Arizona and in other regions since Special Olympics Arizona also promotes inclusion through Unified Arts programming including robotics music photography art competitions and gardening 70 Healthy Athletes EditAs Special Olympics began to grow staffers and volunteers began to notice that athletes children and adults with intellectual disabilities also had many untreated health problems In 1997 Special Olympics began an initiative called Healthy Athletes which offers health screenings to athletes in need 71 Healthy Athletes currently offers health screenings in eight areas Fit Feet podiatry FUNfitness physical therapy Health Promotion better health and well being Healthy Hearing audiology MedFest sports physical exam Opening Eyes vision Special Smiles dentistry Strong Minds Emotional Health Screenings educate athletes on health and also identify problems that may need additional follow up For example the FUNfitness Program assess flexibility strength balance and aerobic fitness of the athlete Following the screen the physical therapist would provide instructions on how to optimize their physical fitness in the areas screened 72 Since the Healthy Athletes program began Special Olympics has become the largest global public health organization dedicated to serving people with intellectual disabilities So far more than 1 9 million Healthy Athletes screenings have been conducted for people with intellectual disabilities all around the world 71 The Special Olympics health initiative has attracted high profile partners including the Hear the World Foundation which screened more than 1 000 athletes during the most recent World Winter Games in Korea more than 200 of them were found to have hearing loss 73 74 In 2012 the Special Olympics Healthy Communities initiative launched in eight countries Kazakhstan Malawi Malaysia Mexico Peru Romania South Africa and Thailand as well as six U S states The goal is to improve the health and well being of people with intellectual disabilities and allow them to reach their full potential 46 Criticism EditScholar Keith Storey summarized common objections in a 2004 article in Journal of Disability Policy Studies One criticism directed at the organization pertains to the role that corporate sponsors play in it which critics feel has led to degrading paternalism toward athletic ability While corporate fundraising makes the games possible critics argue it provides good public relations for the sponsors but does not result in integration of people with disabilities into the workforce at those companies People with disabilities are also not widely represented on the Special Olympics board of directors as only two members have disabilities This has been criticized as a double standard that reflects poorly on the disability rights movement where people with disabilities control the service delivery system rather than relying on people without disabilities 75 See also Edit Olympics portalDeaflympics Flame of Hope Healthy Athletes Special HockeyReferences Edit Special Olympics Board of Directors specialolympics org Retrieved July 16 2018 Smithsonian Highlights Special Olympics History and Athletes National Museum of American History July 6 2018 Retrieved 2018 07 16 2016 Reach Report PDF Special Olympics Archived PDF from the original on 2022 10 09 Berlin Germany selected to host the 2023 Special Olympics World Games Special Olympics 13 November 2018 Main page 2013sopoc org Archived from the original on August 17 2012 Retrieved February 4 2013 Global Leaders Convene in PyeongChang Korea Participate in Groundbreaking Special Olympics Global Development Summit Special Olympics 2013 01 30 Retrieved 2014 07 12 Allen David Franklyn 1979 Ethical issues in mental retardation Victoria S Allen Nashville Abingdon ISBN 0 687 12011 X OCLC 5310309 a b c d e The History of Special Olympics Retrieved September 12 2010 JFK and Disabilities John F Kennedy Presidential Library amp Museum www jfklibrary org Society The Saturday Evening Post 13 August 2009 Eunice Kennedy Shriver 1921 2009 The Saturday Evening Post www saturdayeveningpost com Kessler p 246 10 Facts about the Special Olympics LIST Goodnet Goodnet Retrieved 2017 09 25 Johnson Kirk June 23 1995 Reaching the Retarded An Old Kennedy Mission The New York Times Retrieved July 5 2011 THE EFFECT OF PHYSICAL CONDITIONING EXERCISES AND ACTIVITIES ON THE MENTAL CHARACTERISTICS OF EDUCATIONALLY SUB NORMAL BOYS PsychSource psychsource bps org uk Special Olympics Out of the Shadows Events Leading to the Founding of Special Olympics www specialolympics org Armstrong Neil Mechelen Willem van 2017 Oxford Textbook of Children s Sport and Exercise Medicine Oxford University Press p 397 ISBN 9780191074981 Welcome to Kinesiology amp Community Health Kinesiology amp Community Health www kch uiuc edu About Us Special Olympics Ontario Greater Ottawa ottawa specialolympicsontario ca a b Moczulski J P July 16 2018 How the Special Olympics were born Globe and Mail Retrieved 2018 07 20 a b Out of the Shadows Events Leading to the Founding of Special Olympics Retrieved 2014 07 12 Feature Article Lib niu edu 1968 07 20 Retrieved 2014 07 12 SPECIAL OLYMPICS 2014 www fotonique com Retrieved 2017 10 09 McCallum Jack July 15 2018 One of history s most transformative human rights movements turns 50 Washington Post Retrieved 2018 07 21 A Joyful New Movement Gains Momentum Special Olympics Retrieved 2018 07 18 Recognition and Growth Around the World Special Olympics Retrieved 2018 07 18 Pushing for Inclusion and Improved Health for People with ID Special Olympics Retrieved 2018 07 18 Mary Davis 1 How Health Checks on our Special Athletes are saving lives Evening Herald Thursday April 7th 2011 Fiona Brady Taskforce ON citizenship Archived 2007 11 18 at the Wayback Machine Her bridges built McAleese reflects on a decade in office Irish Independent November 3 2007 Special Olympics Sport and Empowerment Act of 2004 PDF October 30 2004 Retrieved September 12 2010 USA National Games Archived from the original on August 5 2007 O Riordan Ian December 16 2017 Outstanding Achievement award for Mary Davis entirely fitting The Irish Times Retrieved 2018 07 16 Betsy DeVos utterly botched call for Special Olympics funding cuts explained A Special Gift The College at Brockport www brockport edu Retrieved 2018 03 05 Unknown College Photographer 13 February 2007 Special Olympics Statue ca 1979 hdl 1951 36531 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a Cite journal requires journal help Holmes Evelyn 2018 07 18 New Chicago sculpture honors Special Olympics 50th anniversary ABC7 Chicago Retrieved 2018 07 19 To Celebrate the 50th Anniversary Year Special Olympics and the Chicago Park District Break Ground on Eternal Flame of Hope a Permanent Monument to Convey the Hope for Inclusion of People with Intellectual Disabilities March 2 2018 Retrieved 2018 07 19 Special Olympics Flame of Hope Disabled World 2017 12 24 Retrieved 2018 07 19 2009 Special Olympics To Take Place In Sarajevo Bosnia And Herzegovina GamesBid com 7 March 2005 Retrieved 25 July 2015 McLaughlin Micah June 14 2006 Special Olympics come to Idaho in 2009 The Arbiter The Arbiter Retrieved 25 July 2015 Sweden selected to host the 2021 Special Olympics World Winter Games Special Olympics 20 December 2019 New Location for 2021 World Winter Games Special Olympics Kazan to host Special Olympics World Winter Games in 2022 Inside the Games Special Olympics cancels World Winter Games in Russia espn com 4 March 2022 Retrieved 4 March 2022 Special Olympics Regions Cooper Chet Timothy Shriver Special Olympics ABILITY Magazine Retrieved 18 February 2014 a b 2011 Special Olympics Summer Games The Atlantic Photo July 12 2011 The Driving Force Motivation in Special Olympians PDF 2004 Archived PDF from the original on 2012 10 09 Retrieved September 23 2011 Carraro Attilio Gobbi Erica 2012 07 01 Effects of an exercise programme on anxiety in adults with intellectual disabilities Research in Developmental Disabilities 33 4 1221 1226 doi 10 1016 j ridd 2012 02 014 PMID 22502848 Special Olympics Frequently Asked Questions Special Olympics Retrieved 2017 11 12 Young Athletes Special Olympics 2014 05 06 Retrieved 2014 07 12 Google Drive Viewer Retrieved 2014 07 12 Our Families specialolympics org Retrieved February 4 2013 a b Volunteer for Special Olympics specialolympics org Retrieved February 4 2013 Special Olympics Flame of Hope Disabled World 2017 12 24 Retrieved 2018 07 18 Eunice Kennedy Shriver 1921 2009 She Changed the World for People with Mental Disabilities Learningenglish voanews com 2011 08 19 Retrieved 2014 07 12 Origin of the Athlete Oath Retrieved 2016 06 12 Volunteer General Orientation Special Olympics Maryland PDF Retrieved 2016 06 12 a b Our Sports Special Olympics The Joseph P Kennedy Jr Foundation for the Benefit of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities Retrieved 11 March 2016 Special Olympics Divisioning Resources specialolympics org 2014 05 06 Retrieved 2014 07 12 Special Olympics Sports and Games Sports specialolympics org 2014 05 06 Retrieved 2014 07 12 a b Unified Sports Special Olympics Retrieved 2014 07 12 Unified Sports SpecialOlympics org 2018 08 03 Retrieved 2020 07 03 jointherevolution org pledge jointherevolution org a b Unified Gives Us a Chance PDF specialolympics org Archived from the original PDF on April 29 2011 Retrieved June 4 2017 Menke Sabine December 1 2014 Special Olympics leads the way in the field of research Special Olympics Archived from the original on 16 July 2018 Countdown to the Special Olympics Unified Cup Special Olympics Retrieved 2018 07 19 Victory Lauren 2018 07 17 400 Athletes Converge On Chicago For Special Olympics Anniversary CBS Retrieved 2018 07 19 Varon Roz 2018 07 16 Special Olympics Unified Cup kicks off Tuesday ABC7 Chicago Retrieved 2018 07 19 About Special Olympics Special Olympics Retrieved 26 February 2019 a b Health Programs Special Olympics 2014 05 06 Retrieved 2014 07 12 Special Olympics Healthy Athletes FUNfitness www specialolympics org Retrieved 2017 09 19 Special Olympics Hear The World Retrieved 2014 07 12 Healthy Athletes Stories Special Olympics Retrieved 2014 07 12 Storey Keith 2004 The Case Against the Special Olympics Journal of Disability Policy Studies 15 1 35 42 doi 10 1177 10442073040150010601 S2CID 144279463 Further reading EditKessler Ronald The Sins of the Father Joseph P Kennedy and the Dynasty He Founded Warner Books 1996 ISBN 0 446 60384 8External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Special Olympics Special Olympics Special Olympics Australia Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Special Olympics amp oldid 1125881561, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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