Disability Scoop reported on how Special Olympics Unified Sports and Unified Champion Schools are benefiting students with and without intellectual disabilities in an article titled Unified Sports Bring Together Athletes For More Than Wins And Losses. Below is an excerpt.
The goal of Unified Sports is to bring together “friends” and “partners,” students with and without intellectual disabilities. They play together on the same teams, with two groups of athletes working together.
For students with disabilities, broad acceptance within the hallways of a school can be difficult. In the Unified program, there is no separation.
“This is why we are proud to be a part of (Unified Sports),” Stillwater senior Victor Malchav said. “When you first meet someone with special needs, they may not feel really comfortable, but once you really get that relationship going, that deep friendship, it grows (into) something bigger.”
