Special Olympics Unified Sports® is a model that promotes social inclusion. Unified Sports integrates individuals with and without intellectual disabilities (ID) on teams for sport training and competition to promote social engagement and development. Unified Sports includes approximately equal numbers of Special Olympics athletes and partners without an ID of similar ages and abilities on the playing field for both individual and team sports. All athletes and partners are recognized as equal contributors and as such develop a sense of belonging, learn to interact meaningfully with others, and forge lasting and mutually rewarding relationships beyond the playing field.

Chapters are also adopting Special Olympics’ Project Unify, an education-based project that uses sports and education programs to activate young people to develop school communities where all youth are agents of change.

Special Olympics Unified Sports in Canada does not include a competitive pathway to National or World Games.

For more information on Unified Sports® programs in your community, please contact your local Chapter.