From a backyard summer camp for people with intellectual disabilities to a global sports movement, Special Olympics has been changing lives and attitudes since 1968.
The West Bengal program started the Special Olympics movement 36 years ago with 70 athletes, now the number of athletes has reached more than 15 thousands. We have more than 180 member institutions registered with us. The unified kit for Young Athletes Program & Unified Program was developed by Special Olympics Bharat West Bengal.
Fifty years ago, the world began to change for the better, for millions of people with intellectual disabilities—and for all those who love them. And it started in Chicago, Illinois.
When people speak of the origin of Special Olympics, they look no further than the first Camp Shriver—founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver in the early 1960s. They talk of one woman's dream that started in her own backyard.
It all began in the 1950s and early 1960s, when Eunice Kennedy Shriver saw how unjustly and unfairly people with intellectual disabilities were treated. She decided to take action.
Fifty years ago, the world began to change for the better, for millions of people with intellectual disabilities—and for all those who love them. And it started in Chicago, Illinois.
Stigma facing people with intellectual disabilities is slowly being replaced with respect and admiration—on the playing fields and off.
From the United Nations to the International Olympics Committee, Special Olympics gains recognition as the premier sports organization for people with intellectual disabilities around the world.
The first International Games are held outside the USA, as Special Olympics gains a greater global foothold. New health programs mark a turning point as well.
Our fourth decade is all about growth. Millions of athletes are taking part in thousands of competitions every year. The sun never sets on the Special Olympics movement!
As the movement continues to grow, the joy of Unified Sports is bringing together people with and without intellectual disabilities on every continent. We invite the world to come play with us -- and experience the transformative power of sports!
Special Olympics Bharat is a National Sports Federation also registered under the Indian Trust Act 1882 in 2001 and is accredited by Special Olympics International to conduct Special Olympics Programs in India. It is recognized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India as a National Sports Federation in the Priority Category, for development of Sports for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities, and is a designated Nodal Agency for all disabilities on account of its national presence and experience, especially in rural areas which account for nearly 75 per cent of the disabled population in India.
Intellectual disability is characterized by significantly below-average intellectual functioning (generally regarded as IQ below 70) combined with impairment in carrying out varying aspects of daily life and adapting to the normal social environment. As per SOI General Rules Article 2: Special Olympics Athletes Para 2.01 (D) A person is considered to have an intellectual disability for purposes of determining his or her eligibility to participate in Special Olympics if that person satisfies any one of the following requirements: The person has been identified by an agency or professional as having an intellectual disability as determined by their localities; or The person has a cognitive delay, as determined by standardized measures such as intelligent quotient or “IQ” testing or other measures which are generally accepted within the professional community in that Accredited Program’s nation as being a reliable measurement of the existence of a cognitive delay; or The person has a closely related developmental disability.
The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.
Special Olympics Bharat believes:
• People with intellectual disabilities can learn, enjoy, and benefit from participation in sports, with proper help and encouragement.
• Consistent training helps develop their sports skills, and competition among those with equal abilities tests those skills, measures their progress and provides incentives for personal growth.
• Sports strengthen and benefit people with intellectual disability physically, mentally, socially and spiritually. They also help their families and the community at large, both through participation and observation.
Special Olympics Bharat works towards the social acceptance of people with intellectual disabilities, whereby they are respected and given equal chances to become productive citizens. We encourage our athletes to move from the Special Olympics training and competition into school and community programmes where they can compete in regular sports activities.
Special Olympics Bharat is a National Sports Federation also registered under the Indian Trust Act in 2001 and is accredited by Special Olympics International to conduct Special Olympics Programs in India. It is recognised by the Government of India as a National Sports Federation in the Priority Category, for development of Sports for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities, and is a designated Nodal Agency for all disabilities on account of its national presence and experience, especially in rural areas which account for nearly 75 per cent of the disabled population in India
