WOODGROVE: PROVIDED
from. According to an article pub-
lished with the National Library
of Medicine, LGBT youth are at
an elevated risk for poor mental
and physical health compared to
heterosexual and cisgender (not
transgender) peers.

And mental health among chil-
dren with disabilities can also
be at risk. According to United
Disability Services, some of the
factors that negatively impact
the mental health of people with
disabilities include negative ste-
reotyping, physical barriers and
reduced access to their commu-
nities. Programs like the Special
Olympics provide a safe haven
from bullying for children with
disabilities. One way to help encourage
understanding and acceptance
is through Special Olympics
unified teams like the one at
Woodgrove High School in Pur-
cellville, Virginia—where players
with and without disabilities are
on the same team.

The unified program at
Woodgrove has quadrupled in
size since it started with a hand-
ful of students last fall. For Coach
Woodgrove High
School’s unified
basketball team in
Purcellville, Virginia
builds connections
between kids
with and without
disabilities. Ben Bates—a 17-year special
education teacher and 35-season
coach—it isn’t all about winning,
it’s about building lifelong con-
nections between students of
all abilities.

“It’s been successful in bridg-
ing those gaps,” Bates says,
“Seeing the athletes and their
partners high-five in the halls…
before unified that wouldn’t
have happened.”
The best part of both coaching
and teaching is seeing the kids’
progress and knowing you made
a difference, he says.

Since the first International
Special Olympics
Summer Games was held in 1968, the
need for inclusive programs has
only increased, but now, more
than ever, these programs need
volunteers to help make sure
children have access to sports. 1
Volunteer at specialolympicsva.

org/potomac-region/area-14 and
unmatchedathlete.org. Track bills
through the ACLU at aclu.org/
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