| Purpose of the organization: |
The purpose, for which Special Olympic Korea is organized, is solely to fulfill the basic principles and philosophy of Special Olympics International, which is targeted for those with intellectual disabilities among those with global intellectual disabilities, autism, and Down syndrome, by providing year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community. |
| Activities relevant to the conference of States Parties to the convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: |
Special Olympics is conducted in a similar format of the Olympics and whoever with developmental disabilities over 8 years old can participate. Special Olympics has 20 events in summer and 7 in winter as official events. In Korea, athletes are training 11 events in summer and 7 in winter. Holding Special Olympics domestic national games and games by event - Holding International games and winter•summer world games - Participation in Special Olympics winter•summer world games, international games and equivalent international games - Holding seminars and sporting event workshops to train professional leaders - Supports for investigation•research activities to promote physical education•health of people with developmental disabilities - Supports for Unified Sports activities - Commemorative project of 2013 Pyeongchang Special Olympics World Winter Games Conducting ‘Super Blue Campaign’ which is a national promotion campaign to reflect on our awareness of people with disabilities while tying shoelaces of Super Blue Color, the symbol of improved awareness of people with disabilities and walking and caring for people with disabilities ultimately. In the result, people with disabilities can confidently be a member of society and furthermore, our society becomes where disabled and non-disabled people live together. Five promises of Super Blue Campaign First promise - The opposite word of a disabled person is a non-disabled person not a normal person! If people without disabilities are normal people, it means that people with disabilities are not normal. Say ‘you are doing as well as a non-disabled person’, not ‘you are doing as well as a normal person’. Second promise – Disabilities are what they ‘have’ not ‘suffer! A disability is not a sickness, but why do people express it as suffering? Express ‘one has a disability’ not ‘one suffers from a disability’. Third promise - When you want to help people with disabilities, ask them first if they want it! The disabled are slightly different from non-disabled and they are not who are lacking or deficient. When you want to give help, please ask their opinion first. Please don’t glance at them or click your tongue as if they are pathetic. Fourth promise – Do not talk down to intellectually handicapped and autistic people! Even if the intelligence of intellectual disabled people and autistic people is as low as a little child, it does not mean that their thought or action is young. Do not talk down to adults with intellectual disabilities like treating children. Fifth promise – Call them ‘disabled people’ not ‘handicapped people’! ‘Handicapped person’ which they cannot use to call themselves contains the premise that the disabled are non-independent and dependent. Please call them ‘disabled people’, not ‘handicapped people’. When you wait a little more, we can live together with them. |
| Confirmation of the activities of the organization at the regional, national or international level: |
Commemorating UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities Performance A. Period : December 1st (Tue) ~ December 5th (Sat), 2015 B. Location : New York UN conference hall, Korean mission to the United Nations C. Host : Korean mission to the United Nations D. Sponsor : KOICA E. Contents : - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and ambassadors of ‘MIKTA’ 5 countries attended and watched the performance. This successful performance by Korean artists with developmental disabilities improved the Korean national status of welfare state. Managing Unified Sports Team Period : May ~ November, 2015 Participating groups : A total of 17 groups Contents - Athletes with developmental disabilities and people with non-disabilities are trained together at least once a week. - They participate in Unified Sports Festival in November and Coach Seminar in December. The International Unified Floor Hockey Competition (Domestic Championship) Period: November 3rd (Tue) ~ November 5th (Thu), 2015 Location: Sports Training Center of Hoengseong Culture & Sports Park in Gangwon-do Participants and Staff -Participating countries (5 countries): SO Korea, SO Chinese Taipei, SO HongKong, SO Bangladesh 2015 LA Special Olympics World Summer Games Period: July 25th (Sat) ~ Auguest 2nd (Sun), 2015 Location: Los Angeles, U.S.A Tournament scale: 7000 athletes from 177 countries Participants of Korean Team : Total 131 people (1 head, 2 vice-heads, 9 staffs, 27 coaches, 92 athletes) Participating Events: 11 events in Summer (track and field, volleyball, table tennis, swimming, bocce, golf, football, badminton, weightlifting, basketball, roller skating) Host: U.S LA Special Olympics Organizing Committee INAS GLOBAL GAMES Competition Period: September 20th (Sun) ~ 27th (Sun), 2015 Location: Ecuador (Guayaquil and Guaranda) Tournament scale: about 650 people from 35 countries Participants and Staff: 23 people (12 athletes, 5 coaches, 6 executives) Participating Events: track and field, swimming Host: International Sports Federation for Persons with Intellectual Disability (INAS) 2015 Special Olympics East Asia Play Leadership University Program A. Period : September 21st (Mon) ~ September 25th (Fri) B. Location : Jinan, China C. Participants : - Athlete : Kim Kyeong-min (basketball), Park Cho-hyeon (track and field, figure-skating) - Mentor : Lee Dan-bi (Busan University of Foreign Studies) D. Contents: In Athletes Leadership Program, athlete leaders from 6 countries in East Asia gathered for education to enhance mission and leadership of Special Olympics (coach, speech, interviewing process and etc.). ㅇ Introduction and presentation of Special Olympics mission, attended group meeting.International Unified Floor Hockey Competition Healthy Athlete Program A. Period : November 5th (Thu) B. Location : Auditorium of Welli Hilli Park C. Examination Target : Athletes who participated in 2015 International Unified Floor Hockey Competition - Clinical Director : 30 people - Clinical Volunteer : 120 people D. Examination Area: Opening Eyes (eye inspection), Special Smiles (dental inspection), Healthy Hearing (hearing inspection), Fit Feet (feet inspection), Fun Fitness (flexibility/sense of balance inspection), Med Fest (internal medicine of heart), Health Promotion (nutrition/health education) E. Contents : ㅇConducted total 7 areas of inspections to athletes participated in 2015 Special Olympics International Unified Floor Hockey Competition ㅇ Checkup athletes’ health by eye inspection, dental inspection, hearing inspection, feet inspection, flexibility/sense of balance inspection, internal medicine of heart, nutrition/health education and guide follow-up treatments |
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