Austin, 22, has been involved with Special Olympics Dominica for 12 years. He currently serves as the Vice Captain of the SO Saint Lucia Football (Soccer) team and was a part of the Gold Medal winning team in 2015 and 2019. He has served as a mentor and motivator for youth in Saint Lucia and has a deep passion for advocating for the inclusion of all athletes into friendly play.
Austin has observed that individuals with intellectual disabilities are often excluded from society and not integrated into smaller communities. This poses as a huge disadvantage and can hinder one’s social and emotional development and life. The issue of lack of inclusion is his priority and he hopes to fix that.
The project plan includes holding events (such as open-forum discussions) with friends, families, and community members to start the conversation on inclusion. Austin hopes that the first step of inclusion takes place with planning these events as both individuals with and without will to work together to plan successful presentations, leading to a larger outreach to the nearby community. The hope is to engage community leaders who will then encourage their community members to participate, generating greater interest.
The main goals of this project are to increase community awareness about the capabilities of individuals with intellectual disabilities and ensure that there are a variety of inclusive opportunities and activities available. The hope is to remove the stigma surrounding individuals with intellectual disabilities and create more inclusive events.