In the short time that we have been recording this podcast, we have always stressed the importance of siblings in our kids’ lives. In 1962 one sibling raised the bar for brothers and sisters everywhere. Rosemary Kennedy’s sister believed that people with intellectual disabilities should be given the same opportunities as everyone else. With that vision, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, grew the Special Olympics from a small event in her backyard to a worldwide presence with over 4 million athletes and 1 million volunteers in 170 countries.
Barbara and her inspirations - the children, families and her brother, Steve.
Joining us in this episode of the podcast is Barbara Warman, Director of the Family and Young Athletes Programs of the Special Olympics. Like her organization’s founder, Barbara is an exceptional sibling and was inspired to join the Special Olympics by her brother Steve.
Barbara gives us the rundown of all things Special Olympics – from how to volunteer and participate at the local level to the international spectacular of the World Games. We take an interest in two of the Special Olympics initiatives:
- The Young Athletes Program, which provides activities and fun while developing key motor skills in kids less than 8 years old.
- The Global Family Leaders Program is a group of select individuals chosen to promote and educate about the mission and philosophy of the organization.
Our friend Rick from Down Syndrome Daily joins us again with an amazing story about a Canadian play about Down syndrome, starring nine actors who all have Down syndrome.
Download Down Syndrome Radio, Episode #8.
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