Special Olympics World Games

An international multisport competition for athletes with intellectual disabilities, organized by Special Olympics and held in alternating Summer and Winter editions.

Special Olympics: A global sports organization that provides year-round training and competitions for people with intellectual disabilities. It organizes the World Games and connects them to local and national programs.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver: An American advocate who founded Special Olympics and championed sports opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities. Her initiative led directly to the first International Special Olympics Summer Games.
Special Olympics Unified Sports: A Special Olympics program pairing athletes with and without intellectual disabilities on teams for training and competition. World Games Unified events showcase this model on an international stage.
Disability rights movement: A social and political movement advocating equal rights and participation for disabled people. The Games make sporting participation visible within a broader struggle for equality.
Intellectual disability: A disability involving significant limitations in intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior, originating during development. Eligibility centers on athletes with intellectual disabilities.
Camp Shriver: A summer camp founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver in 1962 for children with intellectual disabilities. The camp tested the sports and recreation approach that became the Games.
Host town program: A pre-event program in which participating communities welcome teams before a major sports competition. World Games host towns provide cultural exchange and community activities before competition begins.
Inclusion: The practice of enabling people with different identities and abilities to participate fully in shared settings. The event's public mission links athletic competition with social participation.
Divisioning: A method of grouping athletes for competition by ability, alongside factors such as age and gender. It aims to create equitable competition among athletes with differing abilities.
1968 International Special Olympics Summer Games: The first Special Olympics international competition, held in Chicago in 1968. This inaugural event established the World Games tradition.

Linked from 1 page