The Medical Fitness Association (MFA) and Special Olympics International have launched a two-year partnership to promote inclusion and accessibility for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in medical fitness settings. The collaboration will promote educational materials that give exercise and health professionals the tools and knowledge to support safe, accessible, and effective physical activity programs for individuals with IDD across the lifespan. It will also create meaningful engagement opportunities among medical fitness professionals, Special Olympics athletes, and local Special Olympics Programs.
“MFA’s mission aligns closely with Special Olympics’ commitment to improving health and fitness for people with IDD. This partnership will expand access to medical fitness facilities, strengthen the capacity of medical fitness professionals to support people with IDD, and improve health and wellbeing through more inclusive fitness opportunities.”
MFA Certified Medical Fitness Facilities support preventative health and chronic disease management through collaboration with healthcare providers, high safety and operational standards, and inclusive, outcomes-driven medically integrated fitness programs.
"The Medical Fitness Association is proud to partner with Special Olympics to help expand access to evidence-based exercise and wellness opportunities for individuals with intellectual disabilities. This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to advancing inclusive, community-based health programs and equipping medical fitness professionals with the knowledge and resources needed to better serve every individual."
Medical fitness facilities and professionals are already demonstrating what inclusive fitness can look like. Chelsea Meyer Schmit, Fitness Manager, Northwestern Medicine Huntley Health & Fitness, received MFA’s “Program Innovation Award” in 2025 for “Inclusive Movement,” a groundbreaking fitness initiative created specifically for adults with IDD. What began as a single weekly session has evolved into a dynamic and inclusive program. The program offers eight sessions each week, serving more than 85 participants with IDD who have varying abilities and skill levels. The classes focus on cardiovascular, strength, and mobility exercises to suit each individual's abilities, offering choices with activities, including water aerobics, free weights, running, and dance classes. In addition to programmatic findings of increased grip strength, the feedback from families and caregivers has been overwhelmingly positive.
“Participants have not only improved their physical health but also gained confidence, social connections, and a sense of belonging. For many, this program is the highlight of their week—a safe space where they are seen, supported, and celebrated,” says Meyer Schmit.
She continues, “This partnership between the MFA and Special Olympics reinforces our dedication to serving a demographic that is too often forgotten in traditional health and wellness programming, while expanding pathways for adults with IDD to achieve greater physical health, self-confidence, social connection, and overall well-being. Because of programming like this, our participants will not only live longer and healthier lives, but they will move better and be happier while doing it.”
Together, MFA and Special Olympics are working to make inclusive fitness a more accessible part of lifelong health for people with IDD.
