For more than five decades, the Special Olympics movement has served people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in 190 countries. Through tailored sports training and competition, it brings their talents to the forefront while providing greater social support and protection. 

A prominent initiative within Special Olympics is Unified Sports, where people with and without intellectual disabilities train and compete together on the same team. This programme promotes shared learning, teamwork, and mutual growth.

Special Olympics has established a global Unified Schools programme to integrate Unified Sports into school physical education and ensure inclusivity for future generations. This initiative provides an opportunity for all young people, regardless of ability, to contribute to the creation of welcoming communities.

Unified Schools has played a pivotal role in achieving important academic and developmental milestones, including a significant reduction in bullying, improved academic performance, and higher retention rates for students and teachers.

At the 2023 Special Olympics World Games in Berlin, the movement launched the Global Leadership Coalition for Inclusion with the support of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.

This coalition aims to forge global public-private partnerships for inclusive education through sport, targeting 2,000,000 young people in 150,000 schools worldwide and serving as a platform for nations to uphold key international agreements such as the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN-CRPD).

Special Olympics and H&M Move are calling on partners to join the coalition and expand the Unified Programme globally to promote youth solidarity and highlight the importance of celebrating the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace.