Manley Meets with Special Olympics Illinois

Manley Meets with Special Olympics Illinois

JOLIET, Ill. – State Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Joliet, spoke with leaders of Special Olympics Illinois to discuss potential legislation to help persons with intellectual disabilities. This comes on the heels of launching Manley’s initiative, the Illinois Legislative Neurodiversity Caucus (ILNC).

Special Olympics Illinois President & CEO Peter Beale-Delvecchio and Senior Director Mo Kahn were among those in discussion with Manley recently. Manley continues to meet with people in and around the neurodiversity arena, as she makes plans to lead the first caucus meeting this month. Over 100 caucus members are anticipated to participate.

The ILNC is a bicameral, bipartisan caucus, and the first of its kind in Illinois history. The caucus is co-chaired with state Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel, D-Shorewood.

“Discussions with community leaders, like Special Olympics Illinois, are important to understand what policies need to be established, and what legislation that needs to be created,” Manley said. “Special Olympics Illinois, in particular, are on the front lines in understanding the needs of people with intellectual disabilities.”

Special Olympics Illinois

The first priority of Special Olympics Illinois is to make schools safer for students with intellectual disabilities, by expanding anti-bullying policies, help fund inclusive sports, and increase educator training on inclusive practices. The mission is to provide year-round sports training in a variety of Olympic-type sports for people with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, fellow athletes and community.

In 2024, Special Olympics Illinois included nearly 30,000 participants, of which 18,500 were athletes over age eight with intellectual disabilities, and 2,500 youth athletes under age eight. People without intellectual disabilities played an important role in Special Olympics Illinois with nearly 8,800 unified partners (over age eight) and peer partners (under age eight).

Athletes competed in 18 sports during 279 competitions. The top five sports offered are athletics, basketball, bowling, bocce ball, and volleyball.

Studies have shown that people with intellectual disabilities may die 20 years earlier than the general population, in large part due to risks of cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes. Special Olympics “PATH” approach focuses on four areas of greatest need: prevention, assessment, training, and health systems strengthening. The Special Olympics Illinois Healthy Athletes program aims to enhance the physical and social-emotional wellbeing of people with intellectual disabilities.

Their health programs include Fit Feet (podiatry), FunFitness, (physical therapy), Health Promotion (prevention and nutrition), Healthy Hearing (audiology), MedFest (physical exam), Opening Eyes (vision health), Special Smiles (dentistry) and Strong Minds (mental health). In 2024, they hosted 18 health clinics across the state, providing screenings to more than 1,700 individuals.

Children who participated just two months in Young Athletes, an early childhood program, saw 7-9 months of motor skills improvement. Young adults with intellectual disabilities who participate in Special Olympics Illinois are 49 percent less likely to be diagnosed with depression and 15 percent less likely to be diagnosed with diabetes. The benefits of physical activity are indisputable.

“While improving the quality of life for people with intellectual disabilities is obviously our first intention, we cannot overlook the additional economic benefits of programs like Special Olympics Illinois by improving the quality of health for these athletes,” Manley said.

Illinois Legislative Neurodiversity Caucus

After introducing the caucus in April 2025 during World Autism Awareness Month, Manley and Cappel have registered over 100 legislators and community leaders and then held a celebration reception in Springfield in October.

“We are very excited at the overwhelmingly positive response we’ve had launching this caucus, and expect a great number of participants at our inaugural meeting coming up,” Manley said. “We have identified four cornerstones in order to create a more equitable and supportive Illinois.”

The four cornerstones are support, access, resources and education. The caucus is a coalition of legislators and community leaders who will work in collaboration to address long-standing gaps in advocacy and action for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

For more information about the Illinois Legislative Neurodiversity Caucus, please contact Rep. Manley’s district office at repmanley@gmail.com, or 815-725-2741 (call or text).

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