Global Center for Inclusion in Education Research Brief

Social Inclusion of Students With Intellectual Disabilities: Global Evidence From Special Olympics Unified Schools

Michelle Yin, PhD & Jacqueline Jodl, PhD | 9 December 2021

In every corner of the globe, students with intellectual disabilities face challenges stemming from social exclusion and isolation. This exclusionary behavior leads to inequities in access to quality education and challenges that extend into adulthood.

Exclusion also deprives students without disabilities. It deprives them of the opportunity to learn from a more diverse set of peers. Youth of all abilities must develop core skills around acceptance of diversity if they are to succeed in a world that increasingly requires multicultural understanding and competency.

This brief presents the findings of the Unified Schools Social Inclusion Study, an evaluation of the impact

of Special Olympics Unified Schools in the social inclusion of youth with ID in four countries served by Special Olympics.