On 24-25 September, 2026, Special Olympics Switzerland (SOSWI) held its first annual Health Congress in Zug, bringing together people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), healthcare professionals, institutions, policymakers, public authorities, and national and international experts to exchange experiences, share best practices, and identify solutions to advance inclusive health. The Congress focused on a central question: how can Switzerland move from raising awareness to implementing sustainable and inclusive health care?
“People with intellectual disabilities have the same right to high-quality health care as everyone else. Raising awareness alone is not enough. We need concrete changes: greater knowledge among health care professionals, understandable communication, sufficient time for treatment, and structures that take different needs into account from the outset. The next step is to implement these changes together,” said Dr. Martin Liesch, Medical Director and Foundation Board Member, Special Olympics Switzerland.
The first day of the Congress focused on hearing the experiences of Swiss people with IDD like Pearl Lüthy, SOSWI athlete and athlete ambassador for World Winter Games Switzerland 2029; collectively identifying key areas where the Swiss health system is not meeting the needs of people with IDD; and building the relationships and shared vision needed for sustained systems change.
Main takeaways were:
- Nothing about us without us: people with IDD must be actively involved in shaping services, training, policies, and organizations that influence their health and well-being.
- Education and training: the attitudes and skills for inclusion need to be embedded in the education and continuing training of healthcare professionals.
- Accessible care and care coordination: communication, sufficient consultation time, and the reduction of administrative and practical barriers are essential.
- Integrated action: research, policy, and practice need to inform one another, while health, education, social services, and other systems need to work together to improve health and well-being.
- Financing: streamline and allocate funding to support health care services that meet the needs of people with IDD.
Experience-sharing from neighboring Special Olympics Germany was a key focus of the second day. Special Olympics Germany has used data from Special Olympics Special Smiles®, the dentistry discipline of Special Olympics Healthy Athletes®, to support successful efforts to change policies and improve access to oral health care for people with IDD.
In addition to hosting the high-impact Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023, Special Olympics Germany has contributed its expertise to national efforts to make health care more inclusive, including Germany’s federal action plan for a diverse, inclusive, and accessible healthcare system, which addresses barriers spanning healthcare facilities, accessible communication, professional training, and data.
The Congress closed with a demonstration of a Special Olympics Lions Clubs International Foundation Opening Eyes® (vision care) screening. Three of the seven individuals screened, all residents of a local institution for people with IDD, were found to need eyeglasses. As Romain Fardel, Head of Health, SOSWI explained, “Special Olympics Switzerland Health plans to develop Special Olympics Healthy Athletes as a practical training ground for the health workforce and one tool in a broader toolbox for health system transformation. The Congress was a first step toward a more inclusive Swiss health system and the beginning of a longer journey toward the Special Olympics World Winter Games Switzerland 2029 and beyond.”
By continuing to convene and connect partners, Special Olympics Switzerland aims to turn the momentum around the Games into lasting change. An immediate next step is an assessment of the Swiss health system for inclusion of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, part of a shared commitment by Special Olympics Switzerland, Special Olympics Europe Eurasia, and Special Olympics International.
