BLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech, a Special Olympics Unified Champion School, is receiving national banner recognition for its efforts to provide inclusive sports that include persons with and without disabilities.
This honor is a result of meeting 10 Special Olympics’ national standards of excellence in the areas of inclusion, advocacy, and respect. An award presentation will take place at Cassell Coliseum on Feb. 12 at 2 p.m. during the women’s basketball game.
Virginia Tech is the first university in the state to receive this honor.
Currently, Virginia Tech offers eight Unified Sports on campus and in the community, including Unified bocce, basketball, flag football and bowling. A Unified Leadership Council composed of students and staff from athletics, intramurals, campus organizations, and Special Olympics athletes plans and leads the Unified Sports leagues and social activities.
In Virginia, more than 500 schools are engaged in UCS activities with more than 8,000 engaged schools across the country.
The Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools model is supported by the Office of Special Education Programs at the U.S. Department of Education. This model has been proven, through research, to be an effective and replicable means to providing students with and without disabilities the opportunity to form positive social relationships and promote a socially inclusive school climate.
Key data points include:
96% of teachers/school staff say the Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools program increases opportunities for students with and without intellectual disabilities to work together.
96% of involved teachers believe participation in the program has increased the confidence of students with disabilities.
92% credit the program with reducing bullying, teasing, and offensive language.