Benefits of Having Special Olympics Athletic Programs for People with Disabilities

Authors:

Courtney Wootton, M.S.

Michael J. Bradley, Ph.D.

Red Dirt LLC

Benefits of Having
Special Olympics Athletic Programs for People with Disabilities

Special
Olympic sports create irreplaceable contributions to the lives of Special
Olympic athletes that extend beyond sports, into their everyday lives. Creation
of Special Olympic sports programs present powerful opportunities for people
with disabilities to discover new strengths and abilities. Athletes find joy,
confidence and fulfillment in the sport and in life. Being involved in a
Special Olympic sport can shift the focus from disability to ability and help
participants build a community. Special Olympic sports specifically benefit
athletes by increasing visibility, increasing social activity, increasing
physical abilities and motor skills, and increases self-image. (Special
Olympics, 2018)

One
of the first ways Special Olympic sports programs benefit their athletes is by
increasing their visibility in the community. This is a benefit to the athletes
because it creates awareness for their disabilities, which helps with creating
inclusive communities for athletes with disabilities. Visibility fights
negative stereotypes and helps educate people about special Olympic athletes. Awareness
within communities is a positive first step in creating acceptance within a
community. Along with awareness, visibility is the first step to creating an
inclusive society for people with disabilities to live in. Creating a more
inclusive society creates more understanding and respect from the peers and
community. This helps foster friendships between Special Olympic athletes and
able-bodied individuals. (Special Olympics, 2018)

A
second way Special Olympic sports programs benefit their athletes is by
increasing social activities among the Special Olympic athletes. When teachers
of Special Olympic athletes were surveyed 65% reported that they saw an
increase in children’s social and emotional skills and 62% of teachers reported
an improvement in communication skills (Special Olympics, 2018). This shows
that Special Olympic athletes interact more often with their peers, which helps
the athletes improve their social functioning and communication abilities. Special
Olympics’ programs foster social activities and interactions between their
athletes and able-bodied individuals, which helps develop support systems
within schools. This is important because when athletes with disabilities
interact with able-bodied students, all of the students become better at
encouraging peers and standing up for others. The students learn to embrace
diversity, which creates increased levels of social and emotional security for
all students and decreases instances of bullying and social exclusion. (Special
Olympics, 2018)

A
third way Special Olympic sports programs benefits their athletes are by
increasing their physical abilities and motor skills. When teachers of Special
Olympic athletes were surveyed, 75% reported improvements in children’s motor
skills (Special Olympics, 2018).  About
half of American adults with disabilities get no physical activity. Being
involved in a Special Olympics sports program ensures adults with disabilities
have opportunities for physical fitness. As part of the training, Special
Olympic athletes partake in at least one weekly training session that people
with disabilities would not have access to without the Special Olympics. This
increases their physical abilities and motor skills, which in turn increases
their health and wellness. Participating in sports increases the athlete’s
strength and coordination. Adaptive equipment is provided with each sport and
personalized for each athlete that assists in posture and performance. This
specialized equipment improves muscle tone, strengthen muscles and decrease
injury, which helps the athlete in both the sport and in life. (Special
Olympics, 2018)

The
final way that Special Olympic sports benefit athletes is by increasing their
self-image. Due to Special Olympics improving physical skills, visibility and
social activities, the athletes become more confident, which increases their
self-image. Special Olympics programs provide opportunities to be leaders in
their communities by promoting equality and acceptance. The leadership roles assist
students with disabilities find their voices and take on new challenges. Many
athletes take on new roles becoming mentors, coaches and officials. The
athlete’s increase in self-image is directly influenced by the benefit of
increased communication ability because it allows them to relate to peers their
age. This improves their self-image by helping them make friends easier and
making the community more inclusive.  (Special
Olympics, 2018)

The
benefits of increasing visibility, increasing social activity, increasing
physical abilities and motor skills, and increases self-image, are merely a few
of the positive outcomes of having Special Olympics programs. Creating a
Special Olympics program is beneficial to all participants. It creates
healthier athletes physically and emotionally and helps all involved live more
fulfilled lives.

Works Cited

Special
Olympics. (n.d.). Retrieved February 14, 2018, from https://www.specialolympics.org/Sections/Who_We_Are/Who_We_Are.aspx?src=navwho

Keywords

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