Healthy Athlete Screenings

Special Olympics New York (SONY) provides year-round sports training and athletic competitions in a variety of Olympic-style sports for children and adults with developmental disabilities. These programs give participants ongoing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and share skills and friendship with their families, fellow athletes and the broader community. Special Olympics has been changing lives since 1968.

This funding will support Special Olympics New York’s Inclusive Health Program, an initiative to address persistent health disparities experienced by people with DD. Individuals with DD have lower rates of preventive health screenings and higher rates of chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and obesity. This is due to a range of challenges, including inadequate provider training and inaccessible medical equipment, and communication difficulties. Through this program, CDD and SONY aim to reduce these disparities by increasing access to inclusive and high-quality services.

As part of the initiative, SONY will conduct health screenings and create and maintain an up-to-date provider directory for athletes and caregivers. This program will also support follow-up care referrals, recruit and train new clinical directors at SONY, who oversee healthy athlete screenings and collect and analyze data from healthcare professionals to inform future health equity efforts. The five-year program is expected to increase access to preventive health screenings and specialists and improve healthcare providers’ knowledge and capacity to effectively serve people with developmental disabilities.

Project Length: 5 Years

Contract Start: January 1, 2026

Geographic Reach: Statewide

Total Funding: $100,000 per year

Current Status: Active