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The Vodafone Foundation is a partner of the Unified Football Programme.
Bringing People Together
There is growing support in Europe/Eurasia for the full inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities, and particularly young people.
Special Olympics Unified Sports® enables persons with intellectual disabilities (“athletes”) and without intellectual disabilities (“partners”) to play on integrated teams. This experience allows participants to develop sport skills, create long-lasting friendships and to engage with their community. It also provides another level of challenge for higher ability athletes.
Vital funding to develop Unified Sports has been provided by the European Commission under the Preparatory Action in the Field of Sport 2009.
With the European Union as partner, the 2010/11 Special Olympics EU Youth Unified Sports Development Project will develop Unified Basketall and Football programmes for young people between 12-25 years in 10 EU states.
Click here to download the official brochure.
Unified Football
Special Olympics Football has proved to be an ideal team sport to bring young people together. In a 2005/2006 impact study involving 700 players who trained and competed on 61 Special Olympics Unified teams in five countries, the results showed that Unified football was a satisfying experience for athletes and partners alike, and was effective in improving their understanding of each other.
One athlete summed up his experience on a Unified team, saying: “We all can play in the same school yard and live together in the same world.”
The Vodafone Foundation is a partner of the Unified Football programme.
For more information on the United Sports programme in Europe/Eurasia contact Sabine Menke, Senior Manager, Youth, Education and Unified Sports at smenke@specialolympics.org