A Special Olympics Russia athlete is screened at the Special Smiles venue, one of six Healthy Athletes health screenings available free of charge to the more than 1,800 athletes at the 2005 Special Olympics World Winter Games. (Photo by Takamitsu Mifune/PHOTO KISHIMOTO)
As the athletes entered the Healthy Athletes venue, they received a "passport" which they took to each discpline's screening area. When each screening was complete, athletes received a stamp on their passport. (Photo by Takamitsu Mifune/PHOTO KISHIMOTO)
|
The Special Olympics Healthy Athletes® initiative offered health screenings to all of the more than 1,800 athletes at the 2005 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Nagano, Japan; 1,208 athletes took advantage of it. The extraordinary efforts in Nagano by more than 1,000 health professionals and volunteers from around the world truly made the Winter Games a success. There were 4,200 health screenings provided at no cost to the athletes in six Healthy Athletes disciplines: Special Smiles (dental); Opening Eyes (vision); Healthy Hearing (audiology); Health Promotion (sun safety, nutrition, bone density); FUNfitness (physical therapy); and Fit Feet (podiatry).
“While the screenings allowed Special Olympics athletes to receive quality health care, many for the first time ever, there is much to be done," said Dr. Mark Wagner, Director, Special Olympics Health and Research Initiatives. "The findings showed appalling levels of unmet health-care needs for people with intellectual disabilities.”
The screenings showed that more than two out of five athletes failed their vision test, and 13 percent had an eye disease. A quarter of the athletes screened were obese or overweight, and a sixth were referred to a physical therapist for intensive therapy. A tenth of the athletes screened needed further screening for osteoporosis. A staggering 47 percent of athletes had obvious tooth decay, and a tenth needed urgent dental treatment.
Despite the shocking health statistics for people with intellectual disabilities, there were uplifting moments that demonstrated the success of the Healthy Athletes initiative. Many athletes received eyeglasses for the first time at Healthy Athletes, thereby improving their chances in competition. More than 170 athletes were diagnosed and fitted with new prescription eyewear on site. And for some, their hearing was restored.
The World Winter Games also brought the opportunity to train volunteers and health-care professionals from around the globe. Kyung-Hwan Shin from South Korea was convinced by his local Lions Club of the importance of treating people with intellectual disabilities. In 2002, he participated and screened more than 200 athletes in his country’s Special Olympics Program. Shin was so successful and inspired that he brought three younger doctors from South Korea with him to Nagano to train so they will be ready to screen athletes in this year’s Regional Games.
There was also additional good news for Healthy Athletes from Lions Clubs International. Clem Kusiak, President of International Association of Lions Clubs, presented Special Olympics Chairman and CEO Timothy Shriver a US$3.85 million check to continue the Special Olympics-Lions Clubs International Opening Eyes® program. Since 2000, the Lions Clubs has provided grant support of more than US$9 million to Special Olympics for Opening Eyes.
“The lack of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of common health conditions directly affects the physical performance of individuals with intellectual disabilities, as well as the public’s perceptions of their capabilities and competence in every aspect of life,” said Dr. Stephen Corbin, Dean of Special Olympics University. “We are excited about the opportunity to train current and future health-care professionals so we can improve the lives of people with intellectual disabilities and help break down the barriers to inclusion.”
|
