1. Be a fan of acceptance, dignity, and the human race.
Special Olympics
Oregon
October 2, 2010
Be a fan of acceptance, dignity, and the human race. 1 1

2. Local Program Coordinator
Thank You!!

3. WE are Special Olympics
Worldwide Movement
3,431,559 Athletes
242,295 Coaches
805,000 Volunteers
170 Countries
37,981 competitions ~ 104 per day

4. Eunice Kennedy Shiver
“The right to play on any playing field, you have earned it.”
At our origins: the mission. Year round sports training in the Olympic tradition the sports and the outcomes, value proposition from sports
First 10 years: 1987 first television coverage
A radical notion: Olympic greatness!
SOI in the early era: the sole leader and vision entity
SOI’s job: to create and train leaders and volunteers who would start SO programs and run games in states and countries; to create and run world games; to capture the rules and guidelines for allowing the movement to scale up in the future
EKS’ era defining speech: “The right to play on any playing field, you have earned it.”
1987 first television coverage of OC
Charity mindset to movement mindset: not serving our athletes but working with our athletes: key words moving from pity to empowerment—etc.
We are a catalyst for change, policy change, etc.
Build a community based program in your country, do not just send us a few athletes to world games.
Leading, world public health org for people with ID 4

5. Today
When is that track meet?

6. New Paradigm From… …To Once Daily Sports Sports Community Event
Movement
Them Us
Nice
Important
Service
Empowering
Giving
Transforming
Pity
Acceptance

7. Viewed as Less Relevant/Urgent
Action
Medical advances, drugs to victims, lives saved
Villages rebuilt, people receive care and food
Saving the world, polar bears
A sporting event is held
Action
Donate $ to AIDS charities
Donate to Tsunami
Donate to environmental causes
Donate to Special Olympics
The relevance challenge continues. Especially in the U.S., people want to give to an organization that is seen as making a difference – something that they can be connected to and feel is important. Reiterate any of the examples given above. Saving lives is important. Special Olympics is merely nice because we are seen as simply putting on a sports event – for a group of people the general public has a hard time identifying / identifying with.
Special Olympics Nice but not necessary.

8. Just a soccer game?

9. Bringing Communities Together

10. The Special Olympics Brand
Brand Essence
Through the power of sport, Special Olympics is creating a better world by fostering the acceptance and inclusion of all people.
As we move forward, the message of the movement is this: Through the power of sport, Special Olympics is creating a better world by fostering the acceptance and inclusion of ALL people. And as a movement we must all articulate that message in unison.

11. Relevancy Factor
Challenge: how to strategically communicate our story and contribute to a healthy and accurate public image and understanding Bridge the relevancy gap

12. Access to Quality Healthcare
On average, in the United States, a person with intellectual disabilities would have to contact 50 doctors before finding one who was properly trained to handle the behavioral aspects of treating a person with intellectual disabilities; it is likely worse elsewhere in the world.

13. The Facts
33% of Special Olympics athletes see poorly and need new or different glasses and 6% have serious, untreated eye diseases.
Special Olympics athletes are six times more likely to fail a hearing test than the general population.
35% of athletes have obvious tooth decay in their molar teeth; 50% have obvious gum infections; 12% report being in pain; 15% require urgent care.

14. Relevancy

15. Life Expectancy
The life expectancy of a person with intellectual disabilities has increased by 26 years since the closing of the institutions back in the mid ’70’s.
Their life expectance is approaching that of yours and mine – 74 years

16. Project UNIFY Purpose
Activate youth, engage educators, promote school communities of acceptance and inclusion where All Young People are agents of change ~

17. Change Agents

18. Thank You