Special Olympics promotes opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and develop skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympic athletes and the community.

Over the past 40 years Special Olympics has grown from a modest program serving local athletes to become the world’s largest movement dedicated to promoting respect, acceptance, inclusion, and human dignity for people with         intellectual disabilities through sports.

The Partners in Play initiative fosters the development of partnerships between Special Olympics Ontario and local community sport organizations creating opportunities for athletes with an intellectual disability. In doing so, these partnerships will generate sport specific Learn to Play programs that are inclusive, safe, close to home, staffed by sport-specific trained coaches, and designed for the unique needs of the athletes in soccer, basketball, swimming and track & field.