Inclusive Health

On  a team of 10 athletes

are overweight.
have untreated tooth decay.
have never had an eye exam.
have concerns around flexibility.
have potential hearing loss.
Individuals with intellectual disabilities often struggle to access quality healthcare and opportunities for fitness and wellness. This leads to significant health disparities and, much worse, shorter life expectancy. Special Olympics Arkansas is dedicated to changing this.
Since its creation in 1997, the Special Olympics Health program has made life-changing and life-saving strides in health. Despite the success of the health program, people with intellectual disabilities (ID) remain one of the most medically underserved groups in the world. They are frequently locked out of most aspects of health systems and face significant health disparities. To improve the health outcomes for all people with ID and not just their athletes, in 2016 Special Olympics introduced a strategy: Inclusive Health.
What is the problem?
People with intellectual disabilities (ID) have a higher prevalence of adverse health conditions, less access to health promotion programs, inadequate attention to care needs, and inadequate access to quality health care services. Systemic challenges exacerbate these disparities, including limited training of, and inadequate reimbursement for, providers. As a result, people with ID are often excluded from existing health care systems, and have inequitable opportunity for health. It is important to address and end these health disparities in a sustainable way.
What is inclusive health?
Inclusive health is the inclusion of those with ID in mainstream health policies and laws, programming, and services, training programs, research, and funding streams. Inclusive health means that no door is the wrong one for a person with ID to access health services and programs.
Why is inclusive health important?
Inclusive Health is founded on the idea that the health disparities faced by people with ID can be addressed by removing barriers and making the necessary accommodations to include people with ID in the mainstream health care system, health promotion, and public health efforts. Sustainable inclusive policies and practices can address, reduce and often eliminate many of these barriers. Inclusion allows for people with ID to take full advantage of the benefits of the same health programs and services experienced by people who do not have ID, resulting in improved health outcomes.
What are the types of barriers faced by people with ID accessing health services?
People with ID face a number of barriers in the health care and public health system. Common barriers include attitudinal barriers, communication barriers, policy barriers, programmatic barriers, social barriers, and physical barriers.
What are the key strategies my organization should use to work towards inclusive health?
Organizations across the public health system can take action to remove barriers and improve access for people with ID to their services, as their patients, customers, beneficiaries, and clients.   Four key strategies    include:
  1. Welcoming Spaces: Ensuring your programs and physical spaces are accessible and welcoming to people with ID.
  2. Communication: Ensuring your communications, including written and spoken language, materials, and interactions with the community are accessible to people with ID.
  3. Awareness and Training: Understanding your community and training your staff on the barriers and challenges faced by people with ID, including on how to remove them.
  4. Sustainable and Intentional Inclusion: Building intentional and sustainable inclusion by changing organizational culture to value and understand inclusion.​

Training Healthcare Professionals

The lack of training of health care providers in caring for people with intellectual disabilities are chief reasons for the health disparities experienced by people with intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics Arkansas  is providing Inclusive Health trainings at no cost to government and community partners, health care providers, and universities!   ​​​
Special Olympics Arkansas is working toward more inclusive health practices for our community.  Our Inclusive Health initiative is raising awareness around the issue of health disparities facing people with Intellectual Disabilities.  We are doing this by fostering development focused on delivering care to people with ID, and ultimately creating communities where Special Olympics athletes and others with ID have the same access to health and wellness resources and can attain the same level of good health as others

​We will discuss health disparities for people with ID, barriers they face to quality healthcare, solutions, and questions and answers with an athlete.  Please join us in learning and creating better access for our friends and neighbors! Special Olympics Arkansas provides training for Health Professionals upon request.

Professionals may also sign up to attend our   Healthy Athletes clinics  year-round. Contact   Amber Robinson for more information.
Trained Healthcare Professionals since 2016

Join our Healthcare directory

The mission of Special Olympics Health is to provide access to preventative health programming and access to quality health care for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to improve their physical health and social and emotional well-being. 

Special Olympics Arkansas is developing a Healthcare Directory of providers, organizations, and community -based services that are accessible and trained to serve people with ID. You can join the revolution for healthcare inclusion by filling out our Healthcare Directory form.
Benefits:
  • Gain new patients, clients and participants
  • Gain skills to work with a population that is often  medically  under-served
  • Contribute to your local community through inclusive healthcare and volunteering
  • Join a network of like-minded students and healthcare professionals
  • Window decal and printable certificate to display
References (specialolympics.org)
1. Krahn G, Hammond L, Turner A. A Cascade of Disparities: Health and Health Care Access for People with Intellectual Disabilities. Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities research Reviews 2006;12:70-82.
2. Bainbridge D. The Antecedents and Impacts of Participation in Special Olympics Healthy Athletes on the Perceptions and Professional Practice of Health Care Professionals: A Preliminary Investigation.
3. Harris J. Intellectual disability: understanding its development, causes, classification, evaluation, and treatment. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2006.
4. Corbin S., Holder M., Engstrom K. Changing Attitudes, Changing the World: The Health and Health Care of People with Intellectual Disabilities, Washington, DC: Special Olympics International; 2005.
5. Hoder M., Waldman H., Hoed H. Preparing Health Professionals to Provide Care to Individuals with Disabilities. International Journal of Oral Science.1(2):66-71;2009.