Family Health Forums provide a space for parents, caregivers, and siblings of people with intellectual disabilities to engage with health professionals, community leaders and social service providers. The Forums introduce new families to Special Olympics and services provided through Healthy Athletes®, Young Athletes and other community-based programs for people with intellectual disabilities, while also surfacing challenges that athletes face and how best to overcome them—with a special focus on bettering access to health care, education and inclusive activities.
Family Health Forums are designed by the community to meet their local needs, and topics discussed over the years include diabetes prevention, fitness, oral health, HIV/AIDS prevention, navigating the health system, and access to health. Since 2013, over 45,000 individuals around the world have participated in Special Olympics Family Health Forum's funded by Lions Clubs International Foundation.
“The best thing about the Family Health Forum was sharing experiences with other families, and learning how they solved similar challenges.”
