Guest post by: Mrs. Edvin G. Cabrera, SPED Teacher III
SPED-INTEGRATED SCHOOL FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN
ILOILO CITY
Special Olympics is a non-profit organization that was officially founded in 1968, giving form to its founder, Eunice Kennedy- Shriver (1921-2009), sister of the USA President John F Kennedy. A vision born in June 1962 in a summer camp at Eunice’s home, where children and adults with intellectual disabilities were invited in order for her to explore their abilities in various sports activities. Only six years after, in the summer of 1968, the U.S. Summer Games took place in Illinois with 1,000 participating athletes with intellectual disabilities from 26 states of the U.S. and Canada. From then on until today Special Olympics have evolved to a Global Movement that offers the opportunity to 3.7 million athletes with intellectual disabilities from 185 countries, mainly through sports, to reinforce their self-esteem, to discover their special abilities, and in this way become active and useful members of their societies.
The possibilities offered by the Global Movement to people with intellectual disabilities for participation in sports, social inclusion and demonstration of their competence to society is beneficial for themselves, their families and the communities in which they live, whatever their cultural, religious or other differences.
