Special Olympics

Special Olympics is a global sports organization offering year-round athletic training and competition for people with intellectual disabilities. Its programs emphasize participation, skill development, and inclusion.

Special Olympics World Games: An international multisport event organized by Special Olympics for athletes with intellectual disabilities. The flagship competition brings athletes from around the world together every two years.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver: An American advocate who founded Special Olympics and championed the rights and abilities of people with intellectual disabilities. Her work and family connections made the organization possible.
Timothy Shriver: An American educator and advocate who has served as chairman of Special Olympics since 1996. His leadership has guided the organization through decades of expansion.
Paralympic Games: An international elite sports competition for athletes with eligible physical, visual, or intellectual impairments. The Paralympics prioritize elite competition, while Special Olympics centers year-round participation and training.
Disability rights movement: A movement seeking equal rights, access, and participation for people with disabilities. Special Olympics has contributed to public visibility and changing expectations around disability.
Unified Sports: A sports program in which people with and without intellectual disabilities compete together on teams. It extends competition into mixed-ability teams and makes inclusion part of play.
Camp Shriver: A summer camp founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver in 1962 for children with intellectual disabilities. This camp tested the idea that sports could build skills and confidence.
Loretta Claiborne: An American Special Olympics athlete, runner, and advocate for people with intellectual disabilities. Her athletic achievements and public advocacy have made her a prominent athlete voice.
Deaflympics: An international multisport event for deaf and hard-of-hearing athletes. The Deaflympics organize competition around deafness rather than intellectual disability.
Social inclusion: The process of enabling people to participate fully in social, civic, and community life. Unified programs use shared sport to create interaction across disability boundaries.

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