STEVENS POINT, Wis. (WSAW) – An important part of being a health worker is helping everyone. That ability was at the core of a training session today at UW-Stevens Point.

Representatives from Special Olympics Wisconsin taught health students inclusive practices geared at working with those with intellectual disabilities. Tyler Wigington is a special athlete and like any athlete, health is a priority to him.

“How much exercise you’re doing a week, how many minutes or hours — are you putting enough training in or are you not putting enough strength in it?” he said.

For him and many others with intellectual disabilities, getting health help can be difficult.

People with intellectual disabilities have a life expectancy that is typically 16 to 20 years less than someone without one. They are also two to four times less likely to be physically active, and two times as likely to have cardiovascular disease.

Training instructors say this is not because of their disabilities, but because of the lack of access to that quality health care.

“A lot of healthcare providers and practitioners don’t get adequate training to work with that population,” UWSP Associate Professor of Audiology Dr. Rachel Craig said. “A lot of the training that they get is just through experience, and that’s not ideal. There are certain health disparities that exist, and they’re staggering, and we need to change it.”

Training sessions like the one at UWSP are a way to do that.

“By presenting to different university students, and medical professionals, we’re really breaking down what the barriers are and coming up with solutions to inclusive health,” Special Olympics Wisconsin Director of Inclusive Health Cassie Hopp said.

UWSP Graduate in Audiology Adaline DeKraai added, “I feel like it was a piece that I really wanted to learn more about. It’s such an important piece in our society.”

This training may only be for the day, but it will make a lifetime’s worth of difference for many of the students.

“Once the students go into their professions, they can not only hold more inclusive health trainings for their staff, but they’ll be able to share what they’ve experienced in this training,” DeKraai said.

If you want to make it easier for special athletes to compete and get exercise, there is an opportunity for you. Special Olympics Wisconsin is asking for volunteers to work events in Wisconsin Rapids and Stevens Point next month.

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