NU27DD000021

Improving Health of Americans with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities through Evidence-Based Health Promotion Programs - Funding Opportunity Number: CDC-RFA-DD21-2102 CFDA(S): 93.184 -- Disabilities Prevention

Applicant Name: Special Olympics, Inc.

Descriptive Title of Applicant's Project: Special Olympics: A Path to Improving Health of Americans with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Project Abstract: Special Olympics will address the health disparities experienced by children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) through evidence-based health promotion programs and interventions. The project will utilize the World Health Organization's principles of action to:

1. Improve the conditions of daily life by encouraging communities to be accessible to all.
2. Tackle the inequitable distribution of resources by increasing appropriate healthcare, social participation, and access to needed technologies.
3. Measure the problem, evaluate action, expand the knowledge base, develop a workforce that is trained, and raise public awareness about the social determinants of health.

Building on two decades of collaboration with the CDC's National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Special Olympics will expand, modernize through technology, and standardize its Healthy Athletes' and Healthy Communities programs nationally through evidence-based interventions.

Special Olympics will conduct this work by focusing on three strategies and four activities. Strategies include:

1. Health screening and referral to appropriate care, to increase person-centered linkages to health services, including oral and mental health care, vaccinations, health check-ups, women's health, and improved management of health conditions including diabetes, obesity, heart disease, hypertension, depression, and anxiety.
2. Health promotion programs to increase knowledge of personal risk factors and adoption of healthy lifestyle behaviors, increase control of chronic conditions, and improve life satisfaction and social-emotional support.
3. Building capacity among health professionals, students, and organizations so that they can deliver high-quality inclusive health care, health programs, and services to people with IDD.

Activities include:

1. Prevention of chronic conditions through engaging, evidence-based health programming leading to a reduction in personal risk factors.
2. Assessment of health through technologically-advanced screenings and care coordination leading to improved early detection and management of health conditions.
3. Training of the healthcare workforce through competency-based interprofessional educational curriculum and hands-on experiences with Special Olympics athletes as co-educators leading to improvements in competent compassionate care.
4. Health systems change through partnerships, co-education, and data sharing leading to inclusion of people with IDD in policies and practices of mainstream health organizations. Enhanced data collection systems and ongoing data analysis will result in continuous quality improvement of programming and the creation of compelling evidence that can be used for advocacy towards systemic change.

This work will be enhanced through partnerships with the National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD) and local, state, and territorial health agencies, as well as other national and local partners in the community.

At the end of five years:
- 200,000 children will be engaged in Young Athletes early intervention programs, making developmental and health gains.
- 250,000 athletes and families will be engaged in healthy lifestyle and fitness interventions with behavior change to promote reductions in cardiovascular risk.
- 200,000 screenings with follow-up will result in reductions of chronic disease markers.
- 75 health professional schools (including medical, nursing, physical therapy, and/or others) will include curricula on

Special Olympics

NOT APPLICABLE

93.283 - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Investigations and Technical Assistance

CDC Office of Financial Resources (OFR) [HHS - CDC]

National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD) [HHS - CDC]

District Of Columbia United States

State-Wide

Improving Health of Americans with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Through Evidence-Based Health Promotion Programs (CDC-RFA-DD21-2102)

Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have increased 510% from $13,682,425 to $83,511,938.