1 Special Olympics World Winter Games Sweden 2021 Photo: Johan Huczkowsky SPECIAL OLYMPICS WORLD WINTER GAMES SWEDEN 2021 Johan Strid Investing in public health for people with intellectual disabilities Johan Strid Approximately 100,000 children and adults in Sweden have ten times higher than for the rest of the population. Sport health system to the economic society, and the same National Director, Special Olympics Sweden intellectual disabilities, and surveys constantly show that and knowledge about movement are incredibly important problems exist in many other countries in Europe. people with intellectual disabilities have worse physical and to improve the health of this group – statistics show that Åre and Östersund personify Sweden in winter, with mental health than the rest of the population. At Special only 15 percent of young people in the target group are excellent conditions for organizing big events. The region Olympics Sweden, we can, want, and will be part of changing physically active, and that includes compulsory physical has a long tradition of arranging world championships and this. We are going to make a big investment in public health education at school. an organization with great experience of arranging big for people with intellectual disabilities. Implementing such That is why it is time for us to act! sport events. In 2019, the Alpine World Ski Championships a change requires an established platform as a tool, and Special Olympics World Winter Games is one of the world’s will be arranged in Åre and the World Biathlon Champi- Special Olympics World Winter Games 2021 will play a very biggest sporting events and a necessary platform to raise onships in Östersund. The region has recently decided on important role. awareness, get people involved, and spread knowledge long-term investment in parasport activities together with Despite the rules, conventions, and laws that Sweden shall about issues of movement and intellectual disabilities. The the International Paralympic Committee. Arranging Special follow and observe to guarantee equal health for people event has long experience of working with health, as well Olympics World Winter Games 2021 would mean much with intellectual disabilities, there are many failings. One has tools, systems for training, and health checks. to the region in general, and the nation in particular. It is reason is the low level of knowledge in society about the a step that we require to realize our vision for the future The reasons we are acting now are many, but the primary group. For example, neither Swedish medical training nor of better health for people with intellectual disabilities. one is the health aspect. According to the independent the nursing program requires the training to include know- Together, we can change society’s view on grass-roots Swedish survey “Aktivt liv” (Active Life), Swedish society ledge on how intellectual disabilities aff ect the individual’s sport, and we are humbly convinced that we can develop saves 340,000 SEK annually if a person with a disability health. There are also no annual health checks, which has the World Games platform so that more countries can use goes from an inactive to an active life. If we do not act, it led to ill-health in people with intellectual disabilities being it for a long time to come. will have long-term consequences for Sweden, from the SPECIAL OLYMPICS WORLD WINTER GAMES SWEDEN 2021 Linnéa Björndahl We will make Special Olympics grow! At the beginning of the 1990s, there was investment in part to the media constantly following the work, as we the world’s attention. It is the work before and after the building Special Olympics activity in Sweden. In 2004, the continuously sent out information about movement and competition that will be really important, not just the event investment took off when Special Olympics Sweden, in sport linked to health and well-being – nationally and locally. itself. It is needed for Special Olympics and for Sweden. We partnership with the Swedish Parasports Federation (formerly want to show that Sweden can be a leading country when Knowledge and awareness increased further when the TV the Swedish Sports Organization for the Disabled), started it comes to getting people with intellectual disabilities into program “Heja Sverige” (Come on Sweden) was shown on a three-year project to see if the organization could develop physical activity in an inclusive sports movement. Our hope the national TV channel TV4. The program gave Swedish to become part of the federation. Since 2009, Special is that the Swedish model will be able to be used by many viewers the chance to follow a few selected athletes Olympics Sweden has been part of the Swedish Parasport other countries in the future within the Special Olympics. on their journey from training at their club facilities to Federation and the Swedish Paralympic Committee. competing at the Special Olympics World Summer Games Three of our goals of organizing Special Olympics In 2015, an important foundation in Sweden fi nanced a in Los Angeles. The TV program had high ratings and was World Winter Games: Linnéa Björndahl Special Olympics project. The aim of the project was to get awarded ”Best Swedish Reality TV Program” 2016. The TV • All children and young people with intellectual disabi- Sport Director, Special Olympics Sverige more children and young people to lead an active life and program led to the athletes who took part in the program lities shall be introduced to sports through our sports increase knowledge about the activities of Special Olympics becoming ambassadors for Special Olympics Sweden and days, which will increase the number of athletes in the in Sweden. By organizing School Days together with special to Special Olympics becoming strongly associated with Special Olympics. schools and local sports clubs around Sweden, students at happiness, health, and friendship. • We shall have established methods and concepts to special schools were introduced to sports in an easy and Reading the above, it is easy to think that Special Olympics work with Family Programs and Healthy Athletes fun way. The project was very successful, and by linking Sweden is well known in Sweden and Northern Europe and Programs in Sweden. local club activities with special schools, the organization that, as an organization, we succeed in reaching all people was able to progress and reach more potential athletes. • The knowledge about and work with Special Olympics with intellectual disabilities and have even managed to should be spread across the whole of Sweden. Young Special Olympics Sweden currently has approximately 10,000 inform those without. This is unfortunately not the case. high school students throughout Sweden should be active athletes, and the work to recruit from special schools We have a long way to go for everyone with intellectual di- trained as sports leaders and have the opportunity has now been implemented as part of the organization’s daily sabilities to have the same conditions and opportunities for to meet people with intellectual disabilities from the work. In a short time, School Days have developed to include an active life and equal health. We need to work on training whole world. training of older students who, in turn, then act as leaders eff orts, research, and many other activities and projects during the sports days. The project has shown to be a very to succeed. That is why we need Special Olympics World successful way of changing attitudes to people with intel- Winter Games 2021. lectual disabilities and has created a more inclusive society. It is a unique platform that gives us the opportunity to The knowledge about Special Olympics increased enor- work on a broad public health initiative for people with mously during and after the project. This was due in great intellectual disabilities throughout society and to capture SPECIAL OLYMPICS WORLD WINTER GAMES SWEDEN 2021 Sussan Eriksson A Swedish model of Special Olympics World Winter Games We off er a Swedish model of Special Olympics World Planned knowledge survey Sussan Eriksson Winter Games with the focus on sport, but with the aim To meet the vision of a more inclusive society, Special Chairperson in the council of of improving the public health of people with intellectual Olympics Sweden will conduct a national survey in 2018 to Special Olympics Sweden disabilities. To bring about change, we have to spread measure the organization’s and people’s knowledge about information and increase knowledge throughout society. people with intellectual disabilities. After Special Olympics World Winter Games 2021, a follow-up survey will be con- Today, awareness of and attitudes to people with intel- ducted. The results will be used to measure what the World lectual disabilities is an issue that is increasingly prioritized Winter Games 2021 and the investment in the public health – nationally and locally. In many municipalities’ vision of people with intellectual disabilities have generated. documents accessibility is a basic priority area, but we think progress is too slow. Prejudice and bad attitudes stem from a lack of knowledge. Investment in training in schools and other social institutions therefore plays a central role in organizing Special Olympics World Winter Games 2021. Inclusion is incredibly important to reach our goal and should be more than just a word written on a piece of paper. It should be a living attitude to the way people treat each other. The School Days project is