Education Cannot Wait and Special Olympics International Join Forces to Advance Inclusion through Sports and Physical Education in Emergency and Protracted Crisis Settings

Groundbreaking partnership aims to address barriers faced by children with intellectual disabilities in some of the most challenging crises worldwide.

NEW YORK, Dec. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In a transformative move to advance inclusion through sports for children with intellectual disabilities,  Education Cannot Wait (ECW) and Special Olympics International (SOI) announced today a strategic partnership coinciding with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

This collaboration will tackle educational barriers faced by children and youth with intellectual disabilities through sports programming in emergency and protracted crisis settings.

Through its Acceleration Facility, ECW will support SOI to expand the Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools® programme, promoting meaningful social inclusion by bringing together students with and without intellectual disabilities to create accepting school environments, utilizing three interconnected components: Special Olympics Unified Sports®, inclusive youth leadership, and whole school engagement.

Around the world, an estimated 22.4 million children and adolescents with disabilities in contexts of emergency and protracted crises still face significant barriers to access, remain and advance in quality education. 

"Disability is one of the most critical areas of marginalization, particularly in crisis settings. A child with a disability may actually have a potential for a greater ability. We have no idea what these children are capable of doing. So, we are proud to partner with Special Olympics International to ensure that children with intellectual disabilities can realize their right to inclusive quality education through sports. They may set a new and unprecedented record unseen before. Together we are setting a precedent for how the global community can address the urgent need for inclusive education – for children with hidden potentials in the world's most challenging settings," said Yasmine Sherif, Executive Director of Education Cannot Wait.

As the global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises in the United Nations, ECW has committed to reaching 10% of children with disabilities across its programmatic investment portfolio, bringing together a wide range of strategic partners – governments, United Nations agencies, civil society, and public and private sector donors – to address this pressing crisis. 

As part of this partnership, Unified Champion Schools will be launched in Uganda with a focus on children with intellectual disabilities living in refugee settlements and related settings. This initiative will be piloted with support from a US$75,000 ECW Acceleration Facility grant.

Timothy Shriver, Chairman of Special Olympics International, said: "Children with intellectual disabilities are too often left on the margins, excluded from the promise of education and dignity. By joining forces with Education Cannot Wait, we're building a movement for inclusive education that ensures every child, regardless of their abilities, has the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive. Together, ECW and SOI reaffirm their commitment to creating a world where education serves as a bridge to opportunity, ensuring no one is left behind."

Since 2018, ECW has invested over US$80 million to support education programmes in Uganda, with a focus on supporting equitable inclusive quality education for refugee and host community children, and reaching more than half a million children.

About Special Olympics:

Founded in 1968, Special Olympics is a global movement to end discrimination against people with intellectual disabilities. We foster acceptance of all people through the power of sport and programming in education, health and leadership. With over four million athletes and Unified Sports® partners and one million coaches and volunteers in 200 countries, Special Olympics delivers more than 30 Olympic-type sports and nearly 50,000 games and competitions every year. Engage with us on: X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn. Learn more at SpecialOlympics.org.

About Education Cannot Wait (ECW): 
Education Cannot Wait (ECW) is the global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises within the United Nations. We support quality education outcomes for refugee, internally displaced and other crisis-affected girls, and boys, so no one is left behind. ECW works through the multilateral system to both increase the speed of responses in crises and connect immediate relief and longer-term interventions through multi-year programming. ECW works in close partnership with governments, public and private donors, UN agencies, civil society organizations, and other humanitarian and development aid actors to increase efficiencies and end siloed responses. ECW urgently appeals to public and private sector donors for expanded support to reach even more vulnerable children and adolescents.

On X/Twitter, please follow:  @EduCannotWait   @YasmineSherif1   @KentPage

Additional information available at: www.educationcannotwait.org