Community Conversations Show Featuring Special Olympics Asia Pacific -

Special Olympics, founded in 1968, is a non-profit organisation that provides year-round sports training and competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities in a various Olympic-style sports. Besides sporting activities, it is the world’s largest supplier of healthcare to people with intellectual disabilities (PWID).

Their mission is to end discrimination against people with intellectual disabilities and foster acceptance of all individuals through the power of sport and programming in education, health, and leadership.

With more than six million athletes and Special Olympics Unified Sports partners in over 190 countries and territories and more than one million coaches and volunteers, Special Olympics delivers more than 30 Olympic-type sports and over 100,000 games and competitions every year. And, over 2.4 million athletes from 35 countries participate in Special Olympics Asia Pacific (SOAP).

There is an estimated 200 million PWIDs globally, but however, they are often denied health services despite severe need and higher health risks. Through the use of technology, the Special Olympics Asia Pacific (SOAP) has helped to level the access to quality healthcare for PWIDs and their communities.

Dipak Natali, Regional President and Managing Director of Special Olympics, Asia Pacific, discusses on how technology has aided their work at SOAP. He also talks about:

The history of the Special Olympics
The scale of operations in the Asia Pacific region, the their key stakeholders
The challenges facing the intellectual disability community and their families and how the pandemic has amplified these challenges
The role of technology and how the technological advancement and tools implemented is aiding and supporting the work at SOAP
Some insights on some of the initiatives SOAP is running using technology
How to create a more inclusive healthcare system for PWIDs
Their plans for 2022