What is the issue?
Special Olympics is a global organization that offers year-round sports opportunities for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD). Special Olympics also funds research aimed at promoting the health and wellbeing of people with IDD, who are more likely to experience health issues and face challenges accessing equitable healthcare. However, research findings are not easily shared with those who need them most—athletes, families, and coaches. We need to find better ways to share health information with people with IDD and those who support them.
What we will cover
- Men’s Health
Men’s health is not just about physical fitness—it also includes mental well-being. - Women’s Health
Women’s health includes important topics like breast and menstrual health, which can affect daily life and sports performance.
- Health Check-in
Having regular check-ups with a healthcare professional, not just waiting for emergencies, is key to staying healthy. - Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a powerful tool for athletes, helping to stay focused and calm both in sports and everyday life. - Sleep
A good night’s sleep is important for health, performance, and overall well-being, yet many struggle to get the rest they need. - Diabetes
Staying active through sports is a fun and effective way to help prevent diabetes and boost overall health.
Please note that not all resources are ready yet. We will be adding more as they become available.
What have we done?
H-CARDD partnered with Special Olympics Canada to develop a series of knowledge products on five key topics: Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Health Check Ins, Mindfulness, and Sleep. For each topic, we developed five resources tailored to different audiences.
- Easy Reads – Accessible, athlete-friendly tip sheets using simple language and visual aids to make health information easier to understand.
- Family Snapshots – Concise two-page tip sheets designed to help family/caregivers support their athlete’s health, complete with practical advice and resource links.
- Coach's Corner – Quick-reference guides for coaches with tips on promoting athlete health, including useful links to additional resources.
- Podcasts – Engaging audio and video discussions hosted by Special Olympics athletes, featuring interviews with researchers, clinicians, fellow athletes, Champions Network athletes, coaches, and caregivers.
- Animated Videos – Dynamic video versions of the Easy-Reads, bringing key messages to life through engaging visuals and audio.
As a bonus, we also have a podcast episode and easy read on diabetes, available in both English and French, to provide valuable insights on managing and understanding diabetes within the Special Olympics community.
Our goal is to provide clear, accessible, and actionable health information to empower athletes, families, and coaches in fostering a healthier community!
What we hope to learn
Through this project, we aim to better understand how to effectively share health information and research with the Special Olympics community. By tracking video views, document clicks, and downloads, we will learn which formats are most engaging and accessible, how people prefer to receive health information, and what methods are most effective in reaching our audience. These insights will help us improve future knowledge-sharing efforts with the Special Olympics community as well as other adults with IDD and their families to ensure health information is clear, useful, and widely accessible.
Coming soon: Evaluation results!
We are excited to share what we learn! Once the project is complete, we will post insights on how the Special Olympics community engages with our knowledge products to identify the most effective formats. Stay tuned for key findings and next steps in improving how health information is shared.
Any Questions?
Please feel free to contact Dr. Avra Selick, avra.selick@camh.ca.
