The need for Special Olympics

  There can be no individual in the world, disabled or able-bodied, not inspired by the Special Olympics World Games which played out recently in Los Angeles. The more than 500,000 spectators who attended this nine-day competition at the famed Memorial Coliseum or the millions more who saw it on TV were not just cheering the athletes on; they were also learning from them. The roughly 7,000 intellectually disabled athletes travelled from 177 countries – 14 from the Middle East and North Africa, including Saudi Arabia - to participate in 25 sports in the world’s largest sports and humanitarian event this year. Their participation was essential for a myriad of reasons. Persons with intellectual disabilities should participate in physical exercise because the benefits of such activity will be seen in all areas of the athletes’ lives. They are particularly 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. These are activities important to mental and physical growth. Children engage in games and activities that develop motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Parents say their children also develop better social skills. The confidence boost makes it easier for them to play and talk with other children in schools and elsewhere. Countless studies have determined that the activities also have the effect of helping children with intellectual disabilities learn routines and approaches to learning, along with how to follow rules and directions. And yet, despite the indisputable benefits of this global sports organization, Special Olympics does face criticism from certain quarters. In previous years, some have felt that Special Olympics in itself is a form of segregation. The claim is that one can participate only if he or she has a disability. True, Special Olympic events may not lead to the reduction of prejudice and if anything might reinforce negative stereotypes of people with intellectual disabilities. But labeling a sports event with the word “special”, and specifically for people with special needs, does not necessarily single them out as different. In recent years, Special Olympics has pioneered the concept of unified sports, bringing together athletes with and without intellectual disabilities as teammates. The basic concept is that training together and playing together can create a path to friendship and understanding. Unified sports can build self-esteem and confidence in people with intellectual disabilities and improve the understanding and acceptance of people with intellectual disabilities among their non-disabled peers. Another criticism is that the corporations that sponsor Special Olympics are merely engaged in a shallow public relations strategy. There is some truth in this. While the integration of corporations within Special Olympics does help with the fundraising which makes these games possible, such corporate involvement in Special Olympics does little or nothing to integrate those with intellectual disabilities into the workforce at companies that sponsor Special Olympics. Furthermore, the Special Olympics board of directors has only two members with developmental disabilities. As such, the majority of the people doing the decision making and running the programs are people without disabilities. This double-standard reflects poorly on the disability rights movement where people with disabilities control the system because they, more than anybody else, understand the needs of the disabled and how to manage events for them. In the end, by being involved, Special Olympic athletes can boost their self-esteem and should be looked at as a constant source of inspiration by breaking down stereotypes about people with intellectual disabilities.