1. Special Olympics is a global organization that changes lives by promoting understanding, acceptance and inclusion among people with and without intellectual disabilities.
A. Thesis: The people that help run the Special Olympics provide opportunities and help fight the intolerance, injustice, inactivity and social isolation faced by over 4 million athletes by reducing bullying and health issues among its athletes.
B. Their mission statement: “To provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills
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Almost everyone has experienced some type of bullying in their life, but people with disabilities may experience it more frequently than others.
A. “One study shows that 60 percent of students with disabilities report being bullied regularly compared with 25 percent of all students” (Source: British Journal of Learning Support, 2008).
B. With this statistic, it is shown that students with disabilities already have a hard time focusing on their school work and excess bullying can just grow on this problem even more.
C. “Although only 10 U.S. studies have been conducted on the connection between bullying and developmental disabilities, all of these studies found that children with disabilities were two to three times more likely to be bullied than their nondisabled peers” (Disabilities: Insights from Across Fields and Around the World; Marshall, Kendall, Banks & Gover (Eds.), 2009 )
D. The results of bullying can lead to many things, such as a decrease in grades, a lower attendance rate and an increase in dropouts.
E. Along with bullying, people with disabilities also experience a higher chance of health problems during their
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“Children with disabilities—such as physical, developmental, intellectual, emotional, and sensory disabilities—are at an increased risk of being bullied” (stopbullying.gov).
B. the Special Olympics committee is known for creating a positive and supportive environment for their athletes.
C. “In a 2011 survey, of Special Olympics Maryland high school Unified Partners who observed their teammates with disabilities being bullied or teased, 91% reported standing up for them!” (Special Olympics and Bullying Prevention PDF)
D. Thanks to the Special Olympics, bullying is being taken down among their athletes, which can increase their overall performance in and outside the classroom.
(Transition: While these issues may not seem like a big deal in the world, it’s organizations like the Special Olympics that are helping with these problems one step at a time.)
Conclusion:
5. Now the time has come to you, our audience.
A. The Special Olympic volunteers and committee have been known for heloing those with disabilities with their health issues and standing up to bullies.
B. The question that we want to ask you is what are you doing to help stop these issues in your community?
C. No one that I can think of ever got in trouble for helping other with their problems or standing up to those that knock them