For most of her youth, Emma Haug, a coach for Special Olympics Washington, played soccer and volleyball, but as she entered the hallways of high school, sports became secondary. Not because she didn’t like them anymore, but life happens, and she pursued other ventures. She realized the value in sports after graduating from Washington State University in 2020. “Sports bring people together, whether or not you know what’s happening,” Haug says. “And I don’t think it was until that connection that I truly valued, understood and fell in love with all sports. They bring people together, and that’s all that matters.”

Throughout the country, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and Special Olympics work together to advance inclusion programs for students with intellectual disabilities. The two organizations aim to increase the participation of students with intellectual disabilities in interscholastic Special Olympics Unified Sports® and support partnerships between NFHS member state associations and Special Olympics Programs.

Throughout the country, colleges and universities are demonstrating what it truly means to be a part of the inclusion revolution. Students on campus are joining together with Special Olympics athletes to compete in Special Olympics Unified Sports® competition. With the help of the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) since 2016, the growth of Special Olympics Unified Sports® intramural leagues is seen on college campuses across the country.

SHAPE America is the nation’s largest membership organization of health and physical education professionals. It drives excellence in physical education while providing “programs, resources, and advocacy to support health and physical educators at every level, from preschool to university graduate programs,” according to the SHAPE America mission statement.

19 May 2022 – Special Olympics Cape Verde Youth Leaders Edna and Clenira know that improving digital accessibility is essential to building a more inclusive world. Over the next 6 months, the pair will plan and implement a Youth Innovation Project titled “Cape Verde Digitally Accessible for All.”

Ayman Wahab and Sherif El Fouly of Special Olympics Middle East North Africa (MENA) join host Novie Craven for another exciting episode of Inclusion Revolution Radio.

For the past five years Simran Sahni, a Youth Leader from Special Olympics Bharat, has been on the front lines of the inclusion revolution.

This month, we reflect on the stories shared from the past 10 months of interviews.

As a child, Marie Powell's parents always encouraged her parents to participate in sports.

Miss America 2022 Emma Broyles boasts quite the resume and continues to set a new standard for what it means to wear the crown.

A Unified School in Mongolia brings together students with and without intellectual disabilities to work on their communication skills.

Allison Wonch has always loved sports. She grew up with many siblings in a house where the focus was sports, particularly basketball. “I kept busy playing sports growing up, and I translated that into working with youth and sports camps. That led me to adapted physical education, which led me to Special Olympics,” Wonch says.