It is estimated that over 6.5 million Americans have an intellectual disability, making it the most common type of developmental disability. Historically, individuals with intellectual disabilities were often viewed for what they couldn’t do. Throughout the 1950s and 60s, Eunice Kennedy Shriver saw that these individuals were routinely excluded, ignored and neglected. In her advocacy for those with intellectual disabilities, Shiver began the Special Olympics to showcase capabilities in sports and physical activity that extended far beyond what many experts of the time believed possible.

In 1968, the first Special Olympics International Games was held in Chicago. Six of the first-ever Special Olympic athletes were from North Carolina. Just two years later, Special Olympics North Carolina held its inaugural event with over 400 participating athletes. Over the past five decades, the Special Olympics North Carolina program has grown to be one of the largest Special Olympic programs in the world, with more than 40,000 children and adults registered as athletes with intellectual disabilities.

Special Olympics North Carolina provides year-round training and athletic competition for athletes with intellectual disabilities in Olympic-type sports. The organization’s doors are open for all athletes with intellectual disabilities; the only requirement is a minimum age of eight years old. “Special Olympics programming is accessible to athletes of all ages. This is often a misconception when it comes to Special Olympics because I think a lot of times people often assume that our programming is geared toward children,” said Madeline Safrit, Director of Communications for Special Olympics North Carolina.

For children under eight, the organization offers its Young Athletes program, an inclusive early childhood sports and educational play program for children. This program is open to children with and without intellectual disabilities and provides motor skills training, group interaction and socialization opportunities that begin to foster inclusion and teach everyday skills. Similarly, the Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools® program includes students with or without intellectual disabilities to create school communities of acceptance and respect. “The core of our mission is promoting inclusion. We want our athletes to have meaningful roles in our communities and sometimes that does start through sports,” added Safrit.

Outside of Special Olympic events that occur on an international level, the organization is involved with a variety of state-level competitions, regional events and invitationals throughout the year. For these events, the athletes are required to train for a minimum of eight weeks to compete.

The largest of these state-level events is the Special Olympics North Carolina Summer Games. In 2023, the event celebrated 1,300 athletes competing in seven different sports, including gymnastics, bowling, swimming, basketball, powerlifting and volleyball.

Beyond athletic programs, Special Olympics North Carolina also prioritizes the health of participants. Many individuals may face barriers to accessing regular healthcare, so the organization offers health screenings to all athletes, during which specialized healthcare professionals can communicate with athletes and identify issues hard to discuss elsewhere.

Special Olympics North Carolina’s programs wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of volunteers. “We have more than 40,000 volunteers that are active, so we rely on them to be able to implement the programming on the scale that we do,” said Safrit. The organization is always looking for new volunteers as well, whether it’s for events or year-long opportunities like coaching. Sponsors also make a large contribution to the organization. “The most important aspect of Special Olympics is that our athletes are never required to pay a fee to participate. All their transportation, meals, uniforms and sports equipment [are] provided to them at no cost. Support from our community, sponsors and donors is vital to ensure that these athletes do not have to pay a fee to keep participating in the sports that they love,” added Safrit.

The incredible work that Special Olympics North Carolina has done for the past five decades inspired Whitley Law Firm to get involved. Ben Whitley said, “Whitley Law Firm wants to make sure that we give as many opportunities as we can to [people]. We are committed to our community–that means the community of everyone, with or without any potential disability. We feel that [Special Olympics North Carolina] is a place where our donations can go a long way and help more athletes.”