known as players) in nine Special Olympics Programs, including four states in the United States (Washington, Florida, Southern California, and North Carolina) and five additional countries (Brazil, Mexico, India, Indonesia, and China). In addition to conducting a Unified Sports Player Survey, through conversations with experts in the field of Unified Sports, it became apparent that the perspective of the coach was crucial to answering the three priority questions and to contextualizing the player responses. Thus, phone interviews were conducted with Special Olympics coaches in two U.S. Programs to begin to unpack the coach perspective on developing social inclusion on his/her team and best practices for the future. SOI also conducted secondary data analysis using data from past evaluations of Special Olympics’ school-based program, Project UNIFY. The data was reframed to determine the impact of Unified Sports in U.S. school settings. Finally, SOI partnered with Nielsen to collect baseline data on the current levels of awareness of Unified Sports among the general public in the U.S. Using this combination of research activities, SOI has begun to answer the four priority questions above. The following report will discuss the activities associated with the first three priority questions, as well as questions to guide future research in the field of Unified Sports. This report includes two main sections: 1) Unified Sports in United States School Settings and 2) Unified Sports player survey and coach interviews. Section I: Unified Sports in United States School Settings Background and Statement of Purpose Since the 1970s, education policy and legislation in the United States has mandated that public schools include and accommodate students with intellectual disabilities (ID) (Young, Ne’eman, & Gelser, 2011). This shift represented a departure from previous policies and practices, which categorically denied students with ID access to public education or relegated them to segregated school facilities (Ferri & Connor, 2005). As a result of this shift toward integrated education, students with ID are now more likely to attend mainstream schools alongside their peers without disabilities. Laws have thus facilitated their physical presence and inclusion in public schools. Social inclusion in the school environment, however, still eludes many students with ID. Indeed, students with disabilities experience bullying in school more often than students without disabilities (Carter & Spencer, 2006). They are disproportionately likely to face peer rejection (Hodges and Perry, 1996). Non-disabled students report that they have limited contact with students with ID;
No Don’t Understand Missing 762 52 36 3.0 2.1 Age Under 12 12-18 19-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+ Don’t Understand Missing 58 940 416 161 68 34 8 11 23 3.4 9.4 4.0 2.0 0.5 0.6 1.3 Gender Male Female Don’t Understand Missing 1,082 610 9 18 0.5 1.0 Living Situation On my own With parents/relatives Shared house/apartment home Other Don’t understand Missing 117 1,416 38 64 61 2 21 6.8 2.2 3.7 3.5 0.1 1.2 Employment Status Paid more than 20 Paid less than 20 Not working, looking Not working, not looking Full-time student Retired Unable to work 161 110 134 122 1,023 13 79 9.4 6.4 7.8 7.1 24. 4 7
Sports, their sports skills have improved Since participating in Unified Sports, they joined another sports team outside of Unified Sports (or plan to in the future) 75% (n=6) 50% (n=4) 25% (n=2) participating in Unified Sports, they seem to exercise more every week 75% (n=6) 75% (n=6) 25% (n=2) Since participating in Unified Sports, they seem to have more friends with intellectual disabilities 50% (n=4) 75% (n=6) 12.5% (n=1) Since participating in Unified Sports, they seem to have more friends without 75% (n=6) 50% (n=4) 12.5% (n=1)
available for every question. Other tips Keeping these tips in mind when you are surveying players will help you to get the best responses: Keep others from influencing the player’s answers We want the answers of the players to be their true answers. If a coach or other players are standing next to them, it is possible that this could change the way that they respond to questions. When possible, try your best to make sure the answers recorded are the responses of the player. Remain neutral You can be an influence too! Remain positive throughout the experience, and try to communicate a neutral, nonjudgmental position. Also, be careful that when explaining questions you do not change the meaning, as this can change the answer the player Make the player feel comfortable This will likely be a new experience for the player. Be sure that they feel comfortable by explaining the process and purpose of the survey, finding a place with fewer distractions, and remaining positive. Thank you again for your time and help with this project! The answers you provide will help us to improve and grow Unified Sports! Appendix H Stratified background information of people who reported having ID and people who reported not having ID Characteristics of Respondents with ID Variable N %
Years in Unified Sports Less than one year 1-2 years 3-4 years 5+ years Don’t know Don’t understand Missing 368 225 130 98 37 6 4.3 .7 .5 Age Under 12 12-18 19-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+ Don’t Understand Missing 50 420 248 100 18 13 1 10 8 5.8 2.1 1.5 0.1 1.2 0.9 Gender Male Female Don’t Understand Missing 597 263 3 5 .3 0.6 Living Situation On my own With parents/relatives Shared house/apartment Group home Other 26 781 3 50 2 3.0 0.3 5.8 0
Don’t understand Missing 1 5 0.2 0.1 0.6 Employment Status Paid more than 20 hours Paid less than 20 hours Not working, looking Not working, not looking Full-time student Retired Unable to work Don’t understand Missing 38 63 83 71 515 6 57 25 10 4.4 7.3 9.6 8.2 0.7 6.6 2.9 1.2 Role in Unified Sports Athlete Partner Don’t understand Missing 794 42 25 4.8 2.9 0.8 Characteristics of Respondents without ID Variable N % Years in Unified Sports Less than one year 1-2 years 3-4 5+ years Don’t know Don’t understand Missing 489 153 39 29 41 4 7 5.1 3.8 5.4 0.5 0.9 Age Under 12 12-18 7 466 5.8
19-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+ Don’t Understand Missing 159 58 43 20 7 2 2.1 1.5 0.1 0.0 0.3 Gender Male Female Don’t Understand Missing 427 332 0 3 0.0 0.4 Living Situation On my own With parents/relatives Shared house/apartment Group home Other Don’t understand Missing 87 577 32 10 55 0 1 4.2 1.3 7.2 0.0 0.1 Employment Status Paid more than 20 hours Paid less than 20 hours Not working, looking Not working, not looking Full-time student Retired Unable to work Don’t understand Missing 121 42 48 46 468 7 14 9 7 5.5 6.3 6.0 0.9 1.8 1.2
Reasons for Signing up for Unified Sports, Respondents without ID Reason Yes No Don’t Understand To play sports with people with ID 90.4% (293) 9.3% (30) 0.3 (1) To play sports without people with ID 57.6% (185) 41.4% (133) 0.9% (3) To try a new sport 63% (206) 36.7% (120) 0.3% (1) To start playing sports again 57.3% (185) 42.7% (138) 0% (0) To improve my health and fitness 79.8% (261) 19.9% (65) 0.3% (1) To improve my social skills 87.6% (283) 12.1% (39) 0.3% (1) To improve my sports skills 83.6% (270) 16.4% (53) 0% (0) To make new friends 88.7% (283) 11% (35) 0.3% (1) To meet people with ID 88.7% (289) 11% (36) 0.3 (1) To meet people without ID 71.8% (232) 27.2 (88) 0.9 (3) To do community service/charity work 76.7% (253) 23% (76) 0.3% (1) Because my friends were playing 52.2% (167) 47.8% (153) 0.0% (0) Because someone else signed me up 32% (101) 67.1% (212) .9% (3) Other 63.1% (41) 27.7% (18) 9.2% (6)