Special Olympics Florida Joins Global Movement to Promote Inclusion for People with Intellectual Disabilities
- More than 200 million individuals with intellectual disabilities continue to face exclusion in workplaces, schools and communities around the world.
- Special Olympics and Best Buddies are championing the success of ‘Spread the Word to End the Word’ into Spread the Word: Inclusion to combat this discrimination.
- The campaign calls on people to take concrete action to include others.
- Tweet this pledge on March 4th: I #PledgetoInclude thru my words and actions. Will you? Pledge now to promote inclusion at http://spreadtheword.global
Boca Raton, FL – Special Olympics, Best Buddies International and supporters from around the world will unite on Wednesday, March 2, for the annual Spread the Word Day.
The Spread the Word to End the Word campaign has been working to spread respect and inclusion since 2009 by addressing the hurtful and demeaning impact of the words “retard” and “retarded.” In 2017, 70% of teens said they spoke out against the use of the R-word when they heard it used in conversation. That’s up nearly 50% since 2009. In 2019, our campaign’s new form – Spread the Word: Inclusion – began building on the success of the first 10 years by challenging everyone to commit to creating socially inclusive spaces for all.
The Spread the Word: Inclusion campaign invites all people to commit to individual acts of inclusion. The campaignhighlights divisions that have led to social isolation and exclusion among individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) all over the world. The 200 million people with IDD represent every country, belief system, sexual orientation, gender expression, race, and ethnicity. Spread the Word Day marks an opportunity for all communities to come together, take stock and recognize the advances made – and the progress still needed. Last year alone, more than 13,000 people pledged to take action in their communities.
Throughout the pandemic, we have seen the harmful impact of isolation and exclusion. We have become more aware of the importance of social connection for overall well-being. In 2021, our community took action for inclusion with a focus on building connections to ensure that individuals with and without intellectual disabilities can feel seen, heard, and valued.
This year, we will recognize young people and grassroots leaders around the world who have persevered to create positive change and build a more inclusive future for all. Throughout the year, we will share stories of individuals from our global Special Olympics and Best Buddies communities who have taken action for inclusion and encourage everyone to celebrate champions of change in their schools, workplaces, and communities.
In Florida, Special Olympics Florida is celebrating its 50th year of fighting for inclusion and acceptance for people with intellectual disabilities. It now serves nearly 60,000 athletes with a comprehensive lineup of sports training and competitions, critical health services, and life-changing leadership programs. Through Spread the Word Day, Special Olympics Florida continues its mission of ensuring that people with intellectual disabilities are treated with the respect and dignity they deserve.
“For 50 years, our focus has been on building communities of inclusion and acceptance,” said Special Olympics Florida President and CEO Sherry Wheelock. “Our athletes – and people with intellectual disabilities everywhere – are incredibly talented and capable. They deserve the same opportunities as anyone else.”
Special Olympics Florida athlete Harrison Mauldin, a two-time gold-medal winner, summed up the principles behind Spread the Word perfectly: “Everybody is human. We should all be equally valued.”
Special Olympics offers Unified Sports and inclusive leadership and education activities in over 7,500 schools in 47 states and Washington, D.C. Many of these schools, including schools across Florida, will host Spread the Word events led by students dedicated to social inclusion.
Best Buddies International youth programs promote one-to-one friendship opportunities and leadership development in schools around the world, raising awareness and acceptance for people with IDD in their communities. In many of the nearly 3,000 elementary school, middle school, high school, and college Best Buddies chapters worldwide, the Spread the Word: Inclusion campaign has become an integral part of the organization’s programming and showcases the commitment to create inclusive opportunities for people with IDD on a global level.
This year, Spread the Word: Inclusion supporters and thousands of schools around the nation have activated their communities and neighborhoods to engage around the day with pledge events
Get Involved!
Engage with us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/PledgetoInclude or Twitter at http://twitter.com/PledgetoInclude! Tweet this pledge today:
I #PledgetoInclude thru my words and actions. Will you? Pledge now to change the game for people with ID at http://spreadtheword.global
About Special Olympics
Special Olympics is a global inclusion movement using sport, health, education and leadership programs every day around the world to end discrimination against and empower people with intellectual disabilities. Click here for a full list of partners. Engage with us on: Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and our blog on Medium. Learn more at www.SpecialOlympics.org.
About Special Olympics Florida
Special Olympics Florida provides year-round sports training, competition and health services to children and adults with intellectual disabilities, at no cost to the athletes or their caregivers, as a means to achieve physical fitness, self-esteem, socialization skills, and the life skills necessary to be productive, respected and contributing members of their communities. To learn more, visit www.specialolympicsflorida.org.
About Best Buddies International
Best Buddies® is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development and inclusive living for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Founded in 1989 by Anthony K. Shriver, Best Buddies is a vibrant organization that has grown from one original chapter to nearly 3,000 elementary school, middle school, high school, and college Friendship and Promoter chapters worldwide. Today, Best Buddies’ nine formal programs — Middle Schools, High Schools, Colleges, Citizens, e-Buddies®, Jobs, Ambassadors, Promoters and Inclusive Living— engage participants in each of the 50 states and in 56 countries and territories, positively impacting the lives of over 1.3 million people with and without disabilities around the world. In many cases, as a result of their involvement with Best Buddies, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities secure rewarding jobs, live independently, become inspirational leaders and build lifelong friendships. For more information, please visit www.bestbuddies.org or connect with us via Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
