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European Union Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to residents of countries in the European Economic Area and Switzerland.

Your privacy is very important to us. Please read below to see how Special Olympics handles information. This Privacy Policy describes:

  • The Special Olympics organizations that collect and control data,
  • The personal information we collect and how we use it,
  • With whom we share your information,
  • The measures we take to protect the security of your personal information, and
  • How you can communicate with us about your rights and choices.

This policy was written in English. To the extent a translated version conflicts with the English version, the English version controls.

THE SPECIAL OLYMPICS ORGANIZATIONS THAT COLLECT DATA

Special Olympics operates through different organizations:

  • Special Olympics, Inc. ("Special Olympics International" or "SOI") is the international organizing body for the movement, headquartered in Washington, D.C.
  • Each country has a separate Special Olympics accredited organization or founding committee that you may interact with locally ("Accredited Programs").
  • World games and other international events often have Local Organizing Committees ("LOCs").
  • SO Europe Eurasia Foundation is a grant management organization headquartered in Dublin.

Your national Accredited Program is the data controller. SOI is also a controller for information shared with it. Information you submit for world games and other international events is also controlled by the applicable Special Olympics LOC. SO Europe Eurasia Foundation also controls information shared with it.

INFORMATION SPECIAL OLYMPICS COLLECTS AND HOW WE USE IT

We collect different kinds of information that help us run Special Olympics activities, promote inclusion, raise awareness, and support for our mission. Here are the categories of information we collect, how we use it, and the legal bases:

  • Your Contact Information is used to provide information to you regarding Special Olympics activities and our mission, and to offer you opportunities to donate to Special Olympics. Contact Information includes your name, address, phone number, email address, and your parent or guardian’s information if you are a minor or an adult with a legal guardian. Our legal basis for using your contact information is our legitimate interest in communicating with members of the Special Olympics movement. Special Olympics securely stores this information as long as we have an ongoing relationship with you.
  • International Event Registration Data are used to organize world games and other events and ensure the safety of all participants. This data include your name, demographic information, emergency contacts, travel information, physician information, health information, workplace or organizational affiliations, passport information, and background check information. Our legal basis for using international event registration data is our legitimate interest in the safe and effective operation of Special Olympics events that are central to our mission of providing inclusive sports competition and other activities benefitting people with intellectual disabilities. International event registration data are retained until up to six months after the event. As an exception, data collected for a test event in preparation for a later event are retained until up to six months after the later event (i.e., test games registration data are retained until up to six months after the corresponding world games).
  • National and Local Registration Data are used to organize local and national activities and ensure the safety of all participants. This data include your name, demographic information, emergency contacts, physician information, health history, workplace or organizational affiliations, and background check information. Our legal basis for using national and local registration data is our legitimate interest in the safe and effective operation of Special Olympics activities and events that are central to our mission of providing inclusive sports practice and competition and other activities benefitting people with intellectual disabilities. National and local registration data are retained until up to five years after you discontinue participating with Special Olympics.
  • Your Participation Data are used to operate Special Olympics activities, promote Special Olympics, solicit donations, recognize Special Olympics sponsors and partners, and maintain the history of Special Olympics. Participation data include your name, age, gender, competition results, participation history, images, video, and biographical information. For example, your participation data might include a picture of you receiving a gold medal or carrying the Flame of Hope in a Special Olympics Torch Run. Our legal basis for using your participation data is our legitimate interest in running world-class competitions that showcase talent in ways comparable to the Olympics, Paralympics and other global sporting events. Our legal basis for using your information to publicly promote Special Olympics, solicit donations, and recognize Special Olympics sponsors and partners is based on your written consent provided in a registration or separate release form. Special Olympics keeps this information to document your accomplishments and participation unless you ask us to delete it.
  • Health and Research Data are used to understand and address trends and issues affecting the health and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities. Health and research data include health screening data, survey data, and pre-participation medical form data. Special Olympics uses research data to influence governments, health care providers, and public health organizations to address disparities in access to health care and other public resources for people with disabilities. Special Olympics keeps your personal information confidential and only aggregated research data is published. Our legal bases for processing health and research data is consent, the public interest, and our legitimate interests in ensuring safe participation and identifying and addressing trends and issues affecting people with intellectual disabilities. We will keep your research data as long as we have a relationship with you.
  • Your Donation History is used for accounting, tracking your giving to Special Olympics, and thanking you for your gifts. We do not store your credit card information, and credit card payments are routed through payment card industry compliant third-party payment services. Our legal basis for storing and processing your donation history is our legitimate interest to use and maintain information necessary for fundraising that supports our mission and in accordance with accounting standards. Donation history is stored in accordance with applicable accounting records retention schedules required by law.
  • Online Message Boards and similar online tools maintained by Special Olympics allow you to disclose information about yourself publicly. Our legal basis for collecting information on such platforms is our legitimate interest in promoting awareness and generating interest in Special Olympics’ activities and mission. Because of the public nature of these tools, other online users can access information you provide.

In addition, we also collect other technical information such as the type of browser you are using (e.g., Google Chrome, Internet Explorer), the type of operating system you are using (e.g., Windows or Mac OS), CPU type (e.g., Pentium Intel Core), your manner of connecting to the internet (e.g., connection speed through narrowband or broadband access); internet protocol address; other information about your geographic location; and/or the domain name of your internet service provider.

COOKIES AND SIMILAR TECHNOLOGIES USED ON THIS WEBSITE

A "cookie" is a small piece of data that is sent to your browser from Special Olympics’ web server and is stored on your computer’s hard drive. Cookies are used to collect non-identifying information about the user, such as Web surfing behavior or user preferences for a specific website. Special Olympics uses two different types of cookies — session-based and persistent cookies. Session-based cookies expire at the end of a browser session and terminate once you close your browser. Persistent cookies remain on your computer until you remove them. Persistent cookies are used to provide website analytics. You can manually delete all cookies, including persistent ones, within your browser privacy settings menu.

Below you will find a detailed list of the first-party cookies we use on our Website:

Type of Cookie: Content Management System
Name: ecm
Purpose: Used for Ektron content management system
Duration: Persistent (30 minutes from set/update)

Type of Cookie: Content Management System
Name: region
Purpose: remembers your global region and directs you to regionalized settings
Duration: Persistent (1 year)

Type of Cookie: Content Management System
Name: langcode
Purpose: remembers your preferred language to automatically provide content in your preferred language when available
Duration: Persistent (1 year)

Type of Cookie: Content Management System
Name: modal-holiday
Purpose: tracks whether you have seen the seasonable fundraising request and how recently you have seen it
Duration: Persistent (7 days)

Type of Cookie: Content Management System
Name: modal-newsletter
Purpose: tracks whether you have seen the request to join our newsletter and how recently you have seen it
Duration: Persistent (7 days)

WE DO NOT KNOWINGLY COLLECT INFORMATION FROM CHILDREN

Our website is intended for a general audience. We do not knowingly collect or solicit personal information from anyone under the age of 16 without the consent by the holder of parental responsibility. If you are under 16, you are prohibited from providing information to Special Olympics through this website without verifiable parental consent. In the event we learn that we collected personal information from anyone under the age of 16, we will delete that information and only recollect the information after receiving parental consent. If you believe that we might have collected personal information from anyone under the age of 16, please contact us using the contact information below.

PERSONAL INFORMATION WE SHARE

We do not disclose your personal information except as described in this Privacy Policy or as we disclose to you at the time the data is collected. As relevant to your involvement, we will share your information among Special Olympics International, SO Europe Eurasia Foundation, applicable Special Olympics Accredited Programs, and applicable Local Organizing Committees so that we can communicate more effectively with you and support your participation in Special Olympics activities.

Special Olympics will share your personal information in certain additional situations:

  • Payment Processing. Special Olympics uses third parties to provide credit card, bank, payment and information processing services. If you choose to make a donation online, by phone, through the mail, or by other means, we will share your personal information with our processing service providers. We authorize these service providers to use your personal information only as necessary to perform services on our behalf or to comply with legal requirements. We require these service providers by contract to safeguard the privacy and security of personal information they process on our behalf.
  • Contractors. Special Olympics uses agents and contractors in order to help with our operations. These contractors are required by contract to protect your information in a manner that is consistent with this Privacy Policy and by not using the information for any purpose other than to carry out the services they are performing for Special Olympics.
  • Medical Emergency. Special Olympics will disclose your personal information to medical professionals in an emergency.
  • Third Party Researchers. Special Olympics will disclose your personal information confidentially with researchers, such as universities or public health agencies, who are studying intellectual disabilities and the impact of Special Olympics activities. This kind of disclosure will only be made with your written consent. Information will only be published in aggregate form without identifying any individual data subjects.
  • Visa Assistance. Special Olympics will disclose your personal information with government authorities for the purpose of assisting you with any visas required for international travel to Special Olympics events.
  • Necessity. Special Olympics will disclose your personal information as necessary to protect your vital interest, protect the vital interest of another person, protect public safety, respond to government requests, and report information as required by law.

YOUR RIGHTS AND CHOICES

You have rights regarding the personal information we maintain about you. We also offer you choices about what personal information we collect from you, how we use that information, and how we communicate with you.

You have the right to:

  • Obtain confirmation that we hold personal information about you;
  • Request access to and receive information about the personal information we maintain about you;
  • Receive copies of the personal information we maintain about you;
  • Update and correct inaccuracies in your personal information;
  • Have the processing of your personal information restricted or object to the processing of your personal information; and
  • Have the information blocked or deleted, as appropriate.

If you are an EU resident, you may also have the right to data portability. To exercise these rights, please contact us as set forth below. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.

You may withdraw any consent you previously provided to us. We will apply your choices going forward.

INTERNATIONAL DATA TRANSFERS

Special Olympics is a global organization. We may transfer your personal information to recipients in countries other than the country in which the information was originally collected, in particular to the United States of America, where Special Olympics International is headquartered. Those countries may not have the same data protection laws as the country in which you initially provided the information. When we transfer your information to other countries, we will protect that information as described in this Privacy Policy or as otherwise disclosed to you at the time the data is collected. We use contracts with standard data protection clauses to ensure adequate safeguards for the transfer of personal information to countries outside of the European Economic Area ("EEA") or Switzerland. Copies of these contracts can be requested by contacting Special Olympics International with the contact information below.

INFORMATION SECURITY

We are committed to ensuring the privacy of your personal information and have established safeguards to help protect such information. For example, to protect your privacy, Special Olympics uses passwords to help verify authorized user identity before granting access anywhere your personal information is stored. All online monetary transactions are done on a secure server. This means that information entered on the transaction page is encrypted using SSL (Secure Socket Layer) before transmission. On secure pages, a "closed" lock symbol is displayed in the bottom part of your browser screen and the website address in the address bar at the top of the browser screen starts with an "https" instead of an "http."

CHANGES TO PRIVACY POLICY

From time to time, Special Olympics may revise its Privacy Policy to address changing technology, security measures and website functionality. We will post a prominent notice on relevant websites to notify you of any significant changes to our Privacy Policy and indicate when it was updated.

HOW TO CONTACT US

If you have any questions or comments about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, or if you would like us to update information or preferences you provided to us, please contact us.

Contact your National Special Olympics Accredited Program if you have questions or requests related to information you provided locally by using the contact information posted at https://www.specialolympics.org/Programs/.

Contact Special Olympics International if you have any other questions or requests related to your information:

Special Olympics International
Europe Eurasia Office
Attention: Global Data Protection Officer
2nd Floor, 42 Mount Street Upper
Dublin 2.
+353 86 8047839

privacy@specialolympics.org