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International Day of Persons with Disabilities

International Day of Persons with Disabilities occurs on 3 December to promote the full participation of people with disabilities in all aspects of life. Learn more about how Special Olympics Athletes are working to build a more inclusive world.

Special Olympics West Balkans Unified 3x3 Basketball Tournament Reaches Triumphant Finale on International Day of Persons with Disabilities

Athletes, Unified partners, coaches and families from four countries came together at the flagship regional tournament in Tirana, Albania to spread the message that “everybody is important.”
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Bullying Prevention on International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2023

Students with disabilities are 2 – 3 times more likely to be bullied in school. That is why Special Olympics is shining a spotlight on bullying prevention for International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2023.
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Special Olympics Youth Leaders Continue Eunice Kennedy Shriver's Legacy of Inclusion

Special Olympics is proud to announce the next cohort of 108 Youth Leaders for the Youth Innovation Project Initiative.
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Special Olympics Europe Eurasia Launches Faces of Basketball

Special Olympics launched Faces of Basketball, a unique online-offline activity hub and campaign.
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Special Olympics Announces New Global and Inaugural Champion Ambassador Programs

Chris Nikic—the first person with Down syndrome to complete a full IRONMAN®—leads star pack
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CDC Shares Special Olympics Mental Health Resources

To address the high rates of mental distress among adults with disabilities, the CDC posted helpful resources, including recommendations for people with intellectual disabilities from Special Olympics.
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Special Olympics Announce Major Youth Basketball Tournament

Special Olympics Europe Eurasia has today—on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities—announced that the first ever European Unified Youth Basketball Tournament will take place in Sansepolcro, Italy in October 2021.
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Youth Leaders Answering the Call to Build Back Better

It is during these times of the unknown that the need for innovation and creativity emerges. In the following videos, Special Olympics Youth Leaders share how they took on the challenge of a new, virtual normal, and committed to creating innovative projects portraying an uncertain time.
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IDPD: Help advance inclusion every day

On a cool midsummer evening, I sat to the right of my mom just behind the mosh pit at the Northerly Island pavilion in Chicago during the 50th Anniversary Concert for Special Olympics.
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Special Olympics celebrates International Day of Persons with Disabilities with call for more inclusion

Special Olympics is celebrating International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) by challenging everyone to up their game for global inclusion.
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