Special Olympics
Website
Organization Location
2600 Virginia Ave NW, 11th Floor, Washington D.C., DC, United States, Washington, District of Columbia
Description
About
Special Olympics is a global movement of people creating a new world of inclusion and community, where every single person is accepted and welcomed, regardless of ability or disability. We are helping to make the world a better, healthier and more joyful place—one athlete, one volunteer, one family member at a time.
Mission
The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing 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.
Five Decades of Empowerment
The Special Olympics mission remains as vital today as it did when the movement was founded in 1968. Special Olympics strives to create a better world by fostering the acceptance and inclusion of all people.
Through the power of sports, people with intellectual disabilities discover new strengths and abilities, skills and success. Our athletes find joy, confidence and fulfillment—on 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.
There 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.
The Power to Transform Lives
The transformative power of sports to instill confidence, improve health and inspire a sense of competition is at the core of what Special Olympics does. From the detailed coaching guides we provide in many languages to the sharp-eyed officials at our international games, the focus is on real sports, real competition, real achievements.
In Special Olympics, the power and joy of sport, shifts focus to what our athletes CAN do, not what they can't. Attention to disabilities fades away. Instead, we see our athletes' talents and abilities—and applaud them for all that they can do. And they are doing a lot—from gymnastics to soccer to open-water swimming. With our 30-plus Olympic-style sports, we offer adults and children with intellectual disabilities many ways to be involved in their communities, many ways to show who they really are.
OUR IMPACT
In 2019, Special Olympics marked the close of a momentous decade of remarkable growth. We expanded our reach to more than 6.7 million athletes and Unified Sports partners -- a global record!
Special Olympics Africa marked the largest percentage increase: thanks to a 12% rise, there are now more than 350,000 Special Olympics athletes and Unified teammates enjoying the unifying power of sport across the Region.
Strong growth has also been happening in the Middle East/North Africa, which hosted the Region’s first-ever Special Olympics World Games in 2019. Marking a 6% surge, MENA’s reach has widened to nearly a quarter-million athletes & Unified partners.
Impressive growth is also continuing in the Asia Pacific region, now home to a record-breaking 2.4 million Special Olympics athletes and Unified partners!
SPORTS & THE POWER OF UNIFIED
In addition to the week-long World Games in Abu Dhabi, there were nearly 115,000 Special Olympics sports competitions around the world in 2019, averaging 315 per day, 13 per hour.
This includes 31,367 Unified Sports competitions –- a 19% jump in just a year!
In 2019, Special Olympics Unified Sports hit a new milestone: nearly 1.9 million people – with and without intellectual disabilities –- are playing together and learning from each other through our inclusive sports, worldwide. This includes more than 909,000 athletes and 968,000 Unified partners.
As we know, the power of youth magnifies the power of unified—today and into the future. Our Unified Youth now number 690,000 teammates, all between the ages of 8-25. The empowering example of inclusion is also making an impact on our youngest athletes: in 2019, the Young Athletes program – for children ages 2-7, with and without ID – grew by 32% around the globe.
LEARN MORE ABOUT SPORTS & COMPETITIONS
INCLUSIVE HEALTH FOR ALL
In 2019, Special Olympics Health conducted more than 157,000 free Healthy Athletes screenings around the world! This is often the first time an athlete is seen by a specially trained professional--improving health and saving lives.
This year, Special Olympics Health also achieved the goal of 100 Special Olympics Programs worldwide participating in Healthy Communities. We can also count 45 Programs that have achieved Healthy Community recognition status!
In addition, more than 36,000 professionals were trained in best ways to work and communicate with people with ID – a crucial part of our #InclusiveHealth campaign.
LEARN MORE ABOUT INCLUSIVE HEALTH
LEARN MORE ABOUT YOUTH & SCHOOLS
The 2019-2021 Reach Reports present data primarily sourced from the Special Olympics annual census, as well as the Health, Legal and Sports departments. Unified Schools and Unified Champion Schools data are also provided through Special Olympics North America.
Any decline in numbers compared to 2019 pre-pandemic data highlights the devastating impact of COVID-19 on our athletes and our global Programs. 2020-2021 data also showcases the resilience of the global movement. Special Olympics worked to redirect programming and develop solutions to adapt to a virtual environment.
Questions about the Special Olympics Annual Report? Suggestions? Please contact [email protected].
Contact
Contact email - [email protected]
Phone - +1 202-628-3630
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/specialolympics/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SpecialOlympics
Upcoming events
- through (CST)
- World Winter Games Turin 2025
- through (CST)
- 2027 Special Olympics World Games
- through (CST)
- World Winter Games Switzerland 2029
Past events
- No past events