Providing year-round sports training and athletic competition to more than 9,200 children and adults with intellectual disabilities in Oklahoma.
The following is a list of suggestions that members of the media should take into consideration when writing or speaking about Special Olympics.
Writing Guidelines
What to Emphasize when Writing or Speaking About Special Olympics :
| Special Olympics provides year-round sports training and competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. | ||
| These athletes may or may not have a physical disability. | ||
| Special Olympics operates on funds raised at the international, national, state and local levels from corporations, individuals, special events and grants. Special Olympics is not funded by federal or state governments, the United Way or the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation, nor is it a government agency. | ||
| Special Olympics is sports, competitions and socialization; meaning the benefits include not only fitness coordination and cardiovascular improvements, but also confidence, discipline, self-esteem and fun. | ||
| Special Olympics makes training the priority and has established strict guidelines to ensure that every athlete receives quality training before competing. | ||
| To improve the quality of training, Special Olympics instituted a program of coaches training curriculum and certification in 1981. | ||
| Athletes compete against athletes of similar ability through a system of divisioning. | ||
| Special Olympics serves the needs of athletes of all ability levels, including those with more severe intellectual disabilities or closely related developmental disabilities. |
Special Olympics Language Guidelines
| A person has intellectual disabilities, rather than is suffering from, afflicted with, or a victim of mental of retardation. It is preferred terminology not to write or say that a person is “mentally retarded”. | ||
| Down syndrome has replaced “Down’s Syndrome” and mongoloid. | ||
| Physically challenged or disabled is preferred to crippled. | ||
| Distinguish between adults and children with intellectual disabilities, and older or younger athletes. | ||
| Refer to people in Special Olympics as athletes. The word athlete should not appear in quotation marks. | ||
| Do not use the word kids when referring to Special Olympics athletes. Adult athletes are an integral part of the program. | ||
| Do not use the word THE in front of Special Olympics unless describing a specific Special Olympics event. | ||