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Commissioner supports the health work of Special Olympics

Health and Disability Commissioner supports the health work of Special Olympics

Special Olympics New Zealand was supported at their recent National Summer Games by the Health and Disability Commissioner, who provided information for athletes and their families about their rights when using a health or disability service. An advocate from the Nationwide Health and Disability Advocacy service was also on hand to talk about the work advocates do, and how they can help if people have concerns about the health or disability service they receive.

Health screenings were provided to athletes at the Special Olympics New Zealand National Summer Games in Wellington in the last week of November as part of its Healthy Athletes Programme. The free vision, hearing, podiatry and oral health screenings were delivered by volunteer clinicians and students from the disciplines of optometry, audiology, podiatry and dentistry.

The Health and Disability Commissioner partnered with Special Olympics by providing easy-read ‘Code of Rights’ posters, displayed across the health screening sites and also gave brochures to athletes and families attending the Opening and Closing ceremonies. Deputy Commissioner Rose Wall and advocates from the Nationwide Health and Disability Advocacy Service attended the Opening Ceremony and Closing ceremonies, taking the opportunity to speak to athletes and their families before and after each event.

Healthy Communities Coordinator for Special Olympics New Zealand, Rachel Clarke, explained that “athletes with intellectual disabilities typically have poorer health than other New Zealanders and the Healthy Athletes screenings help us to identify possible health issues so we can refer our athletes on for any necessary treatment.”

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Rachel also acknowledges that the support of the Health and Disability Commissioner is very important to Special Olympics as we look to move towards a more integrated model of health and sport in the community.

Deputy Disability Commissioner Rose Wall said, “The Special Olympics National Summer Games provided a great opportunity to engage with a vast number of athletes and their families at one time. Everyone was really interested and keen to hear about the role of the Health and Disability Commissioner. The efforts of Special Olympics with the provision of health checks to all the athletes is truly commendable. The more we can collectively do to improve the health status of persons with intellectual disability the better.”

ENDS


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