Importance of Special Olympics"Each year approximately 4.2 million participants with special needs participate in Special Olympics events around the world." (Special Olympics). Special Olympics offers people with disabilities the opportunity to enjoy participating in sports the same way as any other athlete. Special Olympics showcases the achievements, skill and courage of athletes. Athletics, through Special Olympics, positively impacts the lives of people with special needs by enabling them to lead active lives. Special Olympics is an association that allows disabled people to be active by participating and competing in sporting events. In the 1950s and 1960s, Eunice Kennedy Shriver realized the difference in how people behaved towards the special needs population and the difference in how people behaved towards others. He began to think about the disadvantages of disabled people and their ability to carry out activities. He knew they were able to do some activities, but no one tried to make a difference in how special needs were treated. Shriver hated that disabled people were ignored because people didn't believe that people with special needs were the same as others (Meyer). Disabled people face problems every day of their lives that cannot be solved. While Shriver understood this, he didn't understand why society would consider treating disabled people differently even if they had problems. They had no control over this. She eventually came to the conclusion that she needed to make a difference. Shriver strongly wanted people to look at disabled people differently; they too are human. He organized events in his spare time to see what they could do. She didn't focus on what they couldn't get... middle of paper ......Major needs: information and activities to promote awareness and understanding. Santa Barbara, CA: Learning Works, 1996. Print.Girod, Christina M. Learning Disabilities. San Diego, CA: Lucent, 2001. Print.Mannix, Darlene. Life skills activities for secondary students with special needs. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2009. Print.Meyer, Jennifer. “Learning to Give, Philanthropic Educational Resources that Teach Giving and Civic Engagement.” Learn to give. Np, nd Web. April 30, 2014. “Special Education and Sports: Disabilities Act and Interscholastic Sports.” Special education and sports: Disabilities law and interscholastic sports. Np, nd Web. April 30, 2014."Special Olympics: Frequently Asked Questions." Special Olympics: Frequently Asked Questions. Special Olympics and Web. May 13, 2014."Sport and people with disabilities." Right to play. Right to Play, 2001. Web. 30 April. 2014.