History of the Special Olympics
Written By Tracy Rodriguez
One of the unique things that brings the world together is the Olympics. During both the Winter and Summer Olympic seasons, people of different cultures gather together to watch athletes compete in their professional sports. But, what makes the Olympics even more unique is the Special Olympics, another division of the Olympics in which individuals with intellectual disabilities who have developed experience in their sport get to compete as well.
The Special Olympics was established in 1968, but wasn’t fully recognized around the world until 1988. The idea of establishing a Special Olympics originated with Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the sister of former US President John F. Kennedy, whose motivation for establishing a Special Olympics stemmed from a summer camp she established for mentally challenged children. Later, more summer camps were developed at the expense of the Kennedy Foundation. Shriver obtained all the names of the students who were interested in joining the camp, and was assisted by high school and college students to perform the duties of counselors.
The counselors were given the opportunity to see firsthand that children with intellectual disabilities were capable of teaching rather than the stereotypical view of them being difficult. However, this was no surprise to Eunice because that was something she had already experienced, which would later be described in the next few paragraphs.
An important aspect of the camp was the integration of children with special needs and neurotypical children. Children with intellectual disabilities would be paired with neurotypical children and would find relatable interests with one another and enjoy each other's company, allowing for young individuals to also recognize that mentally challenged children were far different from them. Over time, the number of children who wanted to attend the camp continued to grow, and more employees needed to be hired. People in the United States and Canada were starting to pay attention, and those who did well at the camps in terms of their physical skills were given awards and recognition.
It was also noted by Dr. James N. Oliver of England that physical activities were beneficial to children who were mentally challenged. This factor allowed some children to perform better at school, as such, factors included limited disruption and aggression. It was later confirmed by Dr. Frank Hayden, a professor with a concentration in physical education, who said that people who were intellectually disabled should feel free to get active and exercise.
In order to continue her pursuit of advocating for people with intellectual disabilities, Euniece Kennedy Shriver revealed that her sister also had an intellectual disability. This was made public in the Saturday Evening Post, which was widely read and informed parents that there is no reason to feel guilty or ashamed about having a child with an intellectual disability.
Furthermore, with the help of Shriver, the Kennedy Foundation was able to push for the inclusion of people who were mentally challenged. The Foundation managed to sign legislation and establish programs that would help individuals with developmental disorders that included intellectual disabilities, as well as provide better resources to help them.
As previously mentioned, Shriver’s involvement in assisting people who were mentally challenged eventually led to the idea of establishing the Special Olympics, which was first held in Soldier Field, a stadium in Chicago. With the help of Dr. Hayden by her side, Shriver managed to receive sponsorship from the Chicago Park District to hold a Special Olympics. The Kennedy Foundation managed to gather over 1,000 athletes from North America to compete in the Special Olympics. After the event’s success, Shriver announced that the Special Olympics would become an organization with the approval of the U.S. Olympic Committee.
As the games continued over the years, more people who watched the televised event began to see more athletes with intellectual disabilities compete in the games, which made families feel more inclusive. By 1972, many had countries participated in sending their athletes with intellectual disabilities to compete in the Olympic Games. By 1986, the United Nations stated that 1986 would be considered the year of the Special Olympics.
Moreover, the Special Olympics became recognized at an international level, and to differentiate itself from the organization alone, it would later be called the Special Olympics World Games. The competitions were held more often outside of North America during different seasons. The first Special Olympics World Games to be hosted internationally took place in Austria in the winter, and the games were officially opened by Austria's President as an honored guest.
Next, the first summer Olympics were held in Ireland, with more than 7,000 athletes ready to participate from different nations. A unique factor about this event is that the ceremony was televised, and much like the President of Austria, the President of Ireland also participated in the opening and closing ceremonies.
With its worldwide recognition, the Special Olympics World Games have become more normalized in society and are available to watch on television. Much like the regular Olympics, the Special Olympics World Games bring people of different cultures together who share a relatable experience and an interest in watching professional athletes perform.
Today, the organization not only holds the title of the Special Olympics, but it also provides training and activities to children and adults with disabilities all over the world. Currently, the average number of participants in the Special Olympics is four million people.
The organization continues to work with individuals with intellectual disabilities and helps them excel. On the company’s website, individuals who are mentally challenged can find resources and information about ways to assist and learn about further information that the Special Olympics provides.
In conclusion, the Special Olympics is more than just an organization that brought the Special Olympics World Games to become an internationally televised event; it deserves to be recognized more for the amount of opportunity and insight it has given to individuals with intellectual disabilities. Their efforts in providing the world with the Special Olympics World Games have had a great impact on many individuals, and the world continues to grow in providing better accessibility for people with intellectual disabilities.
The Special Olympics was established in 1968, but wasn’t fully recognized around the world until 1988. The idea of establishing a Special Olympics originated with Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the sister of former US President John F. Kennedy, whose motivation for establishing a Special Olympics stemmed from a summer camp she established for mentally challenged children. Later, more summer camps were developed at the expense of the Kennedy Foundation. Shriver obtained all the names of the students who were interested in joining the camp, and was assisted by high school and college students to perform the duties of counselors.
The counselors were given the opportunity to see firsthand that children with intellectual disabilities were capable of teaching rather than the stereotypical view of them being difficult. However, this was no surprise to Eunice because that was something she had already experienced, which would later be described in the next few paragraphs.
An important aspect of the camp was the integration of children with special needs and neurotypical children. Children with intellectual disabilities would be paired with neurotypical children and would find relatable interests with one another and enjoy each other's company, allowing for young individuals to also recognize that mentally challenged children were far different from them. Over time, the number of children who wanted to attend the camp continued to grow, and more employees needed to be hired. People in the United States and Canada were starting to pay attention, and those who did well at the camps in terms of their physical skills were given awards and recognition.
It was also noted by Dr. James N. Oliver of England that physical activities were beneficial to children who were mentally challenged. This factor allowed some children to perform better at school, as such, factors included limited disruption and aggression. It was later confirmed by Dr. Frank Hayden, a professor with a concentration in physical education, who said that people who were intellectually disabled should feel free to get active and exercise.
In order to continue her pursuit of advocating for people with intellectual disabilities, Euniece Kennedy Shriver revealed that her sister also had an intellectual disability. This was made public in the Saturday Evening Post, which was widely read and informed parents that there is no reason to feel guilty or ashamed about having a child with an intellectual disability.
Furthermore, with the help of Shriver, the Kennedy Foundation was able to push for the inclusion of people who were mentally challenged. The Foundation managed to sign legislation and establish programs that would help individuals with developmental disorders that included intellectual disabilities, as well as provide better resources to help them.
As previously mentioned, Shriver’s involvement in assisting people who were mentally challenged eventually led to the idea of establishing the Special Olympics, which was first held in Soldier Field, a stadium in Chicago. With the help of Dr. Hayden by her side, Shriver managed to receive sponsorship from the Chicago Park District to hold a Special Olympics. The Kennedy Foundation managed to gather over 1,000 athletes from North America to compete in the Special Olympics. After the event’s success, Shriver announced that the Special Olympics would become an organization with the approval of the U.S. Olympic Committee.
As the games continued over the years, more people who watched the televised event began to see more athletes with intellectual disabilities compete in the games, which made families feel more inclusive. By 1972, many had countries participated in sending their athletes with intellectual disabilities to compete in the Olympic Games. By 1986, the United Nations stated that 1986 would be considered the year of the Special Olympics.
Moreover, the Special Olympics became recognized at an international level, and to differentiate itself from the organization alone, it would later be called the Special Olympics World Games. The competitions were held more often outside of North America during different seasons. The first Special Olympics World Games to be hosted internationally took place in Austria in the winter, and the games were officially opened by Austria's President as an honored guest.
Next, the first summer Olympics were held in Ireland, with more than 7,000 athletes ready to participate from different nations. A unique factor about this event is that the ceremony was televised, and much like the President of Austria, the President of Ireland also participated in the opening and closing ceremonies.
With its worldwide recognition, the Special Olympics World Games have become more normalized in society and are available to watch on television. Much like the regular Olympics, the Special Olympics World Games bring people of different cultures together who share a relatable experience and an interest in watching professional athletes perform.
Today, the organization not only holds the title of the Special Olympics, but it also provides training and activities to children and adults with disabilities all over the world. Currently, the average number of participants in the Special Olympics is four million people.
The organization continues to work with individuals with intellectual disabilities and helps them excel. On the company’s website, individuals who are mentally challenged can find resources and information about ways to assist and learn about further information that the Special Olympics provides.
In conclusion, the Special Olympics is more than just an organization that brought the Special Olympics World Games to become an internationally televised event; it deserves to be recognized more for the amount of opportunity and insight it has given to individuals with intellectual disabilities. Their efforts in providing the world with the Special Olympics World Games have had a great impact on many individuals, and the world continues to grow in providing better accessibility for people with intellectual disabilities.