Special Olympics Inc

THE MISSION OF SPECIAL OLYMPICS IS TO PROVIDE SPORTS TRAINING AND COMPETITION IN A VARIETY OF SPORTS FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES, GIVING THEM OPPORTUNITIES TO DEVELOP PHYSICAL FITNESS, DEMONSTRATE COURAGE, EXPERIENCE JOY AND PARTICIPATE IN A SHARING OF GIFTS, SKILLS AND FRIENDSHIP WITH THEIR FAMILIES, OTHER SPECIAL OLYMPICS ATHLETES AND THE COMMUNITY.

HEALTH WORKDESPITE SEVERE NEED AND HIGHER HEALTH RISKS INCLUDING AS A RESULT OF COVID, PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES (ID) ARE OFTEN UNABLE TO ACCESS THE QUALITY CARE THAT THEY NEED TO MAINTAIN OPTIMAL HEALTH. SPECIAL OLYMPICS HEALTH PROGRAMS PROACTIVELY ADDRESS THE HEALTH RISKS AND BARRIERS THAT INDIVIDUALS WITH ID FACE, CREATING A WORLD WHERE PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES HAVE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEALTHY. IN THE FIRST HALF OF 2021, WITH THE PANDEMIC STILL IN PLACE, VIRTUAL INTERVENTIONS REMAINED A PRIORITY INCLUDING APP-BASED FITNESS CHALLENGES AND VIRTUAL HEALTH EDUCATION MODELS. WITH THE REDUCTION IN RESTRICTIONS IN THE LATTER PART OF THE YEAR, IN-PERSON ACTIVITIES INCLUDING HEALTH SCREENINGS, FITNESS AND EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMING RESUMED, ALBEIT AT LOWER LEVELS OF PARTICIPATION THAN PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC. DURING THE COURSE OF THE YEAR, THE HEALTH PROGRAMMING CONTINUED TO EVOLVE AND BE RESPONSIVE TO THE SHIFTING CONTEXT. AS A RESULT, A NEW PEDIATRIC HEALTH SCREENING WAS DEVELOPED AND PILOTED, MODIFICATIONS WERE MADE TO EXISTING SCREENING PROTOCOLS, DEDICATED WEBINARS FOR HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS WERE CREATED AND PROMOTED AND A VIRTUAL HEALTH SUMMIT WAS STAGED TO ENGAGE KEY AUDIENCES AROUND OUR CURRENT AND FUTURE HEALTH PROGRAMS. RECOGNIZING THE PARTICULAR VULNERABILITY OF INDIVIDUALS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES TO CONTRACTING AND DYING FROM COVID AND THE EMERGENCE OF VIABLE VACCINES FOR THE PUBLIC, SPECIAL OLYMPICS HEALTH PLAYED AT AN ACTIVE ROLE IN PROMOTING VACCINE UPTAKE AMONGST PARTICIPATING ATHLETES. THESE EFFORTS INCLUDED REGULAR SURVEYING OF ATHLETE POPULATIONS TO DETERMINE VACCINATION RATES, DEDICATED COMMUNICATION EFFORTS TO ADDRESS HESITANCY, PROTOCOLS DESIGNED TO REDUCE RISK AND PROMOTE VACCINE UPTAKE AND SPECIFIC RISK REDUCTION STRATEGIES SUCH AS MASK DISTRIBUTION INITIATIVES

PUBLIC EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATIONSTHERE ARE AS MANY AS 200 MILLION PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES AROUND THE WORLD. OUR GOAL IS TO REACH OUT TO EVERY ONE OF THEM AND THEIR FAMILIES AS WELL. SPECIAL OLYMPICS DOES THIS THROUGH A WIDE RANGE OF TRAININGS, COMPETITIONS, HEALTH SCREENINGS AND FUND-RAISING EVENTS. WE ALSO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR FAMILIES, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, LOCAL LEADERS, BUSINESSES, LAW ENFORCEMENT, CELEBRITIES, DIGNITARIES AND OTHERS TO BAND TOGETHER TO CHANGE ATTITUDES AND SUPPORT ATHLETES.IN 2021, COVID-19 CONTINUED TO CAUSE SCHOOL CLOSURES AROUND THE WORLD; OVER THE COURSE OF THE PANDEMIC, OVER 1.2 BILLION CHILDREN AND YOUTH HAVE BEEN OUT OF SCHOOL GLOBALLY. THIS HAS RESULTED IN SPECIAL OLYMPICS PROGRAMS ADJUSTING TO BE MORE CREATIVE, RESOURCEFUL AND INNOVATIVE, USING VIRTUAL ENGAGEMENT, TO WORK YOUTH WITH AND WITHOUT INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES. PROGRAMS HAVE DEVELOPED A WIDE RANGE OF VIRTUAL TALENT SHOWS, ESPORTS ACTIVITIES, DIGITAL UNIFIED SPORTS CHALLENGES, SOCIALLY DISTANT IN-PERSON EVENTS, AND VIRTUAL FITNESS CLASSES. EVEN GIVEN THE VIRTUAL NATURE RESULTING FROM QUARANTINE AND LOCKDOWNS, SPECIAL OLYMPICS HAS BEEN ABLE TO FORGE AND ACTIVATE AN INTERNATIONAL TEAM OF YOUTH LEADERS, TEACHERS, COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS AND COACHES, WHO ARE BRINGING THE POWER OF SOCIAL INCLUSION TO SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES AROUND THE WORLD.FURTHER, WE'VE INCREASED AUDIENCE INTERACTION TO GROW THE MOVEMENT BY ATTRACTING NEW STAKEHOLDERS TO OUR MISSION. WHILE PRIMARILY REMOTE, OUR COMMUNICATIONS AND EFFORTS, HAVE LED TO REACHING NEW CONSUMERS AND POLICYMAKERS THROUGH COORDINATED EFFORTS TO ELEVATE SPECIAL OLYMPICS AS A GLOBAL THOUGHT LEADER WITHIN INCLUSION AND EDUCATION. MOST NOTABLY, SPECIAL OLYMPICS LAUNCHED THE GLOBAL CENTER FOR INCLUSION IN EDUCATION IN ADU DHABI WHICH FOCUSES ON THE INTERSECTION OF POLICY, PRACTICE AND RESEARCH. THE GLOBAL CENTER PUBLISHES RESEARCH AND POLICY BRIEFS THAT ILLUMINATE OUR WORK ON INCLUSION IN EDUCATION, ALONG WITH CASE STUDIES SHOWCASING THE EXEMPLARY WORK OF SPECIAL OLYMPICS STAFF, COACHES, VOLUNTEERS, ATHLETES, AND YOUTH.

SPORTS TRAINING AND COMPETITIONTHROUGH THE POWER OF SPORTS, PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES DISCOVER NEW STRENGTHS AND ABILITIES, SKILLS AND SUCCESS. OUR ATHLETES FIND JOY, CONFIDENCE AND FULFILLMENTON THE PLAYING FIELD AND IN LIFE. THEY ALSO INSPIRE PEOPLE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND ELSEWHERE TO OPEN THEIR HEARTS TO A WIDER WORLD OF HUMAN TALENTS AND POTENTIAL.IN 2021, THE SPECIAL OLYMPICS SPORT AND COMPETITION CONTINUED EFFORTS TO DIGITIZE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INCLUDING THE CONDUCT OF A GLOBAL COACH WEBINAR SERIES, DEVELOPMENT OF ON-LINE DATA SHARING PLATFORM FOR OUR SPORT SPECIFIC RESOURCE TEAMS, AND CREATION OF AN E-LEARNING TECHNICAL DELEGATE EDUCATION MODULE. OVER 4800 INDIVIDUALS REPRESENTING OVER 120 COUNTRIES REGISTERED FOR THE GLOBAL COACH WEBINAR SERIES. 39% OF THE ATTENDEES WERE FROM OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS INDICATING THE SERIES CONTRIBUTED TO A BROADER COACH RECRUITMENT EFFORT WHILE INFLUENCING OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO PROMOTE INCLUSION FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH ID.IN PREPARATION FOR POST PANDEMIC RE-ACTIVATION A NEW FORMAT FOR OPERATING AND PRESENTING OUR WORLD GAMES COMPETITION A SET OF SPORT IMPACT STANDARDS FOR PRIORITY SPORTS WAS FINALIZED. THESE SPORT IMPACT STANDARDS WILL PROVIDE SPECIAL OLYMPICS WITH AN OPTIMUM ENVIRONMENT TO PERFORM AT THEIR BEST WHILE CREATING A PATHWAY FOR INSPIRING SPORT STORY CONTENT. ADDITIONALLY, THROUGH OUR SPORT PARTNERSHIP WORK WE LAUNCHED A TRAINING PLEDGE PROGRAM WITH THE BWF FOCUSED ON NATIONAL FEDERATION TRAINING SUPPORT FOR SPECIAL OLYMPICS ATHLETES ATTENDING THE WORLD GAMES IN 2023. THIS PRECEDENT SETTING SUPPORT FROM AN INTERNATIONAL SPORT FEDERATION WILL ENSURE SPECIAL OLYMPICS ATHLETES WILL RECEIVE THE VERY BEST TRAINING ASSISTANCE POSSIBLE WHILE FURTHER INTEGRATING INDIVIDUALS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES INTO MAINSTREAM FEDERATION WORK AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL. OVERALL, 2021 SAW A DECREASE OF TOTAL NATIONAL LEVEL SPORT PARTNERSHIPS OF 2.5% BUT HIGHER ENGAGED PARTNERSHIPS YIELDED A MILLION DOLLAR INCREASE IN ANNUAL VALUE IN KIND SUPPORT.IN THE MAJOR GAMES ARENA, SPECIAL OLYMPICS SELECTED BIDS FOR FUTURE WORLD WINTER GAMES IN 2025 ITALY AND 2029 SWITZERLAND. THIS SEQUENTIAL AWARDING OF TWO WORLD GAMES WAS A FIRST FOR THE SPECIAL OLYMPICS MOVEMENT AND WILL PROVIDE A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO INVEST RESOURCES INTO SUSTAINABLE LEGACY PROGRAMS AT THE NATIONAL AND REGIONAL LEVEL IN EUROPE.SPORT AND COMPETITION WORK IS LED BY A STRONG EMBRACE OF DATA DRIVEN PRIORITIZATION ENABLING EXPANDED SERVICES AND EVENTS WHILE BUILDING EVIDENCE-BASED CONTENT DEMONSTRATING HOW POSITIVE INCLUSIVE SPORT TRAINING COMPETITION CAN SERVE AS A CRITICAL PHYSICAL, SOCIAL, AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH INTERVENTION FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH AN INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY AND THEIR BROADER COMMUNITY.