Should the Special Olympics Remain Separate?

Special Olympics: An Overview

Beginning Stages:

The Special Olympics has a long history, dating back to the early 1950s when Eunice Kennedy Shriver began exploring ways to represent intellectual disabilities in a better light. During this time, people with disabilities were treated poorly which the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation sought to change. Shriver Camp was established in June 1962, which sparked the humble beginnings of the Special Olympics.

Three months before the opening of Shriver Camp, Eunice Kennedy Shriver put out a statement, “The years of indifference and neglect, the years of callous cynicism and entrenched prejudice, are drawing to a close. The years of research and experiment ... are upon us now with all their promise and challenge."

Recognition into Globalization:

On July 20, 1968, the very first Special Olympics were held in Chicago, Illinois after the massive success of Shriver Camp. This article shares insight into the sports offered, "over 200 challenging events including swimming, floor hockey and track and field."

After the immense success of the 1968 Special Olympics, the event continued to be held once every other year, seeing massive expansion during the 1970s. This upward trend in popularity gained more support and participation globally during the 1980s, reaching several milestones.

An article explains, "By the mid-1980s, Special Olympics programs have spread to more than 50 countries on every major continent. In 1983, an estimated 4,000 athletes attended the 1983 International Special Olympics Summer Games in Louisiana, USA."

Beginning with around 1,000 athletes during the first Special Olympics to 4,000 by the mid-1980s, the event became highly successful.

Advocating for Inclusion:

From the 1990s to the present, inclusion has been a main focal point of the Special Olympics when the world saw massive improvements for a brighter future. Individuals with intellectual disabilities were often disregarded in many facets of life and discluded from professional roles. However, this all changed when the Paralympics decided to include intellectually disabled athletes in their sports for the first time.

This article shares additional context, "Athletes with intellectual impairments were only accepted into the Paralympics comparatively late, beginning with the 1996 Atlanta Games."

Athletes with intellectual disabilities were reaching greater heights than ever before, fulfilling their ultimate dreams to become Para athletes.

Current Restrictions:

Only a few years after intellectually disabled athletes were officially allowed to compete in the Paralympics, a scandal took place during the 2000s Sydney Paralympics. During this scandal, the classifiers failed to identify individuals falsifying their intellectual impairments, temporarily ending the inclusion-supporting decision in the following years.

Although new classifying systems were established that allowed intellectually disabled athletes back into the Paralympics, they faced many restrictions.

Remaining Separate or Together?

Individuals with intellectual disabilities faced many hardships throughout history. The Special Olympics has brought inclusion in competitive sports, providing these individuals with a supportive outlet. If athletes with intellectual disabilities trained for the Paralympics and wanted to become a part of it, they should have that opportunity open. The Special Olympics should still exist as its own entity, but athletes with intellectual disabilities should have multiple options to choose from.