American Federation of Teachers Sponsors Special Olympics Team USA
at 2007 World Summer Games

Los Angeles – At today’s send-off event for Team USA to the 2007 Special Olympics World Games in Shanghai, AFT executive vice president Antonia Cortese told the team’s athletes that their actions at the games would help teach the world how much people with intellectual disabilities can accomplish.

“The AFT is proud to be supporting your efforts, because not only is this an opportunity for you to compete with your peers, but the World Summer Games are a giant classroom where you can teach the world the Special Olympics’ message of acceptance and inclusion,” Cortese told the athletes.

The AFT and its affiliates have a long history of supporting the Special Olympics.  Recently, the AFT was a sponsor of the first-ever Special Olympics USA National Games in Ames, Iowa, where Cortese was the Grand Marshal of the New York delegation.  The union also is involved in shaping and promoting the SO-Get Into It K-12 service-learning resource to help teachers explain intellectual disability to young people and encourage them to become involved in the Special Olympics movement. 

“Through our collaboration with the AFT, educators at all levels – grade school, middle school, high school – are serving as important role models to eliminate stereotypes and change views about the capabilities and gifts of people with intellectual disabilities,” Special Olympics Chairman Timothy Shriver said. 

The 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games will bring together nearly 7,500 athletes from more than 160 countries in Shanghai to compete in 25 Olympic-type and demonstration sports, in what will be the largest humanitarian and sports event this year.  The games also will include the fourth Global Youth Summit, with 60 students from 16 countries and a forum audience of over 300 local Shanghai students. 

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