Signing of “The San Salvador Declaration” On 29 March 2006, at the Presidential Palace in San Salvador, the President of El Salvador Elías Antonio Saca and the Chairman of Special Olympics Inc. Timothy Shriver, along with Dr. Hugo Matasol, President of Special Olympics El Salvador, signed a Declaration establishing, in the words of President Saca, “a shared commitment to improve the lives of the people with intellectual disabilities through the promotion of the Special Olympics movement.” Elías Antonio Saca, President of El Salvador (seated, left) and Timothy Shriver, Special Olympics Chairman, sign the declaration. [Photo courtesy Special El Salvador] The Government of El Salvador recognizes the need to make Special Olympics available to all people with intellectual disabilities that are eligible, and has pledged to support Special Olympics El Salvador in achieving this goal. In accordance with the Declaration, and with the technical assistance of Special Olympics, Inc., a four-year Strategic Plan will be established to: promote quality growth of the Special Olympics movement in El Salvador, through added human, financial, and technical resources; empower athletes with intellectual disabilities as leaders, through added exposure of governmental and business leaders to Special Olympics and expansion of leadership opportunities for Special Olympics athletes; change attitudes toward people with intellectual disabilities, through research initiatives; the SO Get Into It, Healthy Athletes, and Unified Sports programs; and ongoing campaigns for inclusion. By 2010, Special Olympics will touch the lives of many thousands of individuals with and without intellectual disabilities, as the impact of the San Salvador Declaration is felt throughout the nation of El Salvador.