The More Things Change, the More They are the Same: Continuing Concerns with the Special Olympics

Social participation of children and youth with disabilities in Canada, France and Germany

“…Others argue for the importance of the Special Olympics for people with mental disabilities as a venue to participate without too much pressure, and to display their skills. This debate seems to be ongoing and returning to the table every few years, with very strong proponents for both viewpoints (Wolfensberger 1995;MacLean 2008;Storey 2008;Eidelman 2011).…”

‘A genuinely emotional week’: learning disability, sport and television – notes on the Special Olympics GB National Summer Games 2009

“…He also claims that Special Olympics promotes a patronizing and infantilizing public 'hugging' mentality towards people with a learning disability. He asserts that public responses to events such as Special Olympics are largely emotionally driven; that the non-disabled majority are invited to admire the 'humbling', against-all-the-odds 'bravery' and 'determination' of these social 'unfortunates', more than they are for their real talents and skills as athletes or as 'ordinary' (and, like everyone else, flawed) individuals (Storey, 2004(Storey, , 2008. Similar concerns were expressed by learning disability advisers in Leicester before the 2009 Games: I'm not sure Special Olympics -or 'special' anything -is the way we should be going.… Special Olympics is actually taking us back down a road that we have been trying to move along, which is that we're not 'special'; we want the same things as everybody else.…”

Examining Life Course Transitions of Young People with Disabilities: The ACEE Alumni Study

“…Almost all of them were involved into some kind of physical activity, be it swimming, hockey, bowling, or lacrosse, and during discussions about physical activity, the role of the Special Olympics Organization, which is the world's largest sports organization for children and youth with intellectual disabilities crystallized as an important pillar in the lives of many of the participants. This observation might feed into the controversies surrounding the role of the Special Olympics in the literature, as some authors have considered those events to be segregated and outdated (e.g., Storey, 2008;Counsell & Agran, 2013), whereas others have defended the purpose of the event (MacLean, 2008;Wolfensberger, 1995). For our interview participants, the Special Olympics and their competitions were important events in each of their lives, as they provided a structured environment that included competition, social participation, and events to look forward to during the week.…”