THE EUNICE KENNEDY SHRIVER ACT OF 2011
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The Eunice Kennedy Shriver Act of 2011
After Eunice Kennedy Shriver’s passing in August of 2009, Best Buddies and Special Olympics joined forces on
a new piece of legislation, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Act of 2011. This Act is a testament to her dedication to
improve the lives of persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) by continuing support for
global sports and related programming, social, leadership, and employment programs, and expanded
research and training activities housed within an institute model to honor her legacy.
Together, both Special Olympics (SO) and Best Buddies International will urge Members of Congress to
authorize The Eunice Kennedy Shriver Act and funding, which will continue a national commitment the U.S.
Congress made with passage of the 2004 Special Olympics Sport and Empowerment Act. The Eunice Kennedy
Shriver Act also includes The Best Buddies Empowerment for People with Intellectual Disabilities Act of 2009,
passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in April 2009. This important legislation continues the legacy of
Mrs. Shriver by authorizing funds for specific programs supporting persons with IDD in health, sports,
education, employment and global program initiatives.
In the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Act, we are seeking funding that meets the increasing critical needs of people
with IDD, as outlined and authorized in the 2004 Special Olympics Sport and Empowerment Act and The Best
Buddies Empowerment for People with Intellectual Disabilities Act of 2009. Our experience over the past five
years demonstrates the positive impact of these resources and the scope of need and demand to be met.
Targeted annual funding levels in the reauthorization include:

$9.5 million for Special Olympics Education Activities – These resources will be used to extend and
enhance the range of activities which support education and activation of youth at all levels to learn,
understand and act on behalf of individuals with IDD. Project UNIFY has been launched successfully in
45 U.S. States and needs to be expanded to all states, down to local levels and in rural and urban
settings, based on what is being demonstrated as effective. Project UNIFY additionally needs to be
extended beyond the U.S. so that the great impacts of these interventions can be implemented among
school-age youth in some of the most stressed situations around the world. These activities are a
critical strategy for creating enlightened and activated youth who can lead today and in the future and
who can help build stronger civil societies. In order to create the science base for understanding how
to best leverage such activity, a multi-year research study needs to be undertaken that documents and
assesses the interactive effects that Special Olympics’ interventions have toward individual and group
change in attitudes and actions that impact the wellbeing of people with IDD.

$4.5 million for International Activities – The need for expanding Special Olympics’ successful sports
and related programs around the world, in some of the most desperate societal situations, is extensive.
SO’s experience in the developing– as well as developed– world positions it to make a huge difference
in the lives of people with IDD, their families, and their communities. As an example, The Eunice
Kennedy Shriver Fellowship program is preparing promising early and mid-career individuals to be
leaders in developing nations for advancing Special Olympics and commitments to people with IDD.
Recently completed research documents the many positive impacts that SO programs have on people
with and without IDD. There can be no doubt that Special Olympics programs improve the quality of
life for people with IDD and even save lives in many cases. In numerous societies, SO is the only
resource available to people with IDD and their families.
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$8.5 million for Healthy Athletes – Over the past decade, the Healthy Athletes program has been
launched successfully in all U.S. States and more than 100 countries. This program provides free health
screenings, education, preventive service, and referrals to athletes. Each year, SO trains 15,000 or
more health professionals who volunteer their services around the world. Annually, approximately
185,000 health screenings are provided at all levels, even in some of the most remote, impoverished,
and unstable societies. For every Federal “seed dollar” made available, nearly $5 worth of health
services are generated through the leveraging of corporate, foundation, and volunteer contributions.

$2 million for Best Buddies Jobs – Best Buddies first began offering supported employment services in
1993. Since then, over 500 adults with IDD have found employment through this person-centered,
community-based program. Best Buddies develops competitive, paying jobs in a variety of professions,
with an emphasis on white-collar jobs. Currently, the average wage earned by participants in Best
Buddies Jobs is $9.43. Funding would allow further expansion of the jobs program to other states, as
well as expanded employment opportunities for adults with IDD.

$8 million for Best Buddies Inclusion and Student Leadership Programs – For over 20 years, Best
Buddies has been creating inclusive communities in schools and workplaces through the medium of
friendship. Funding will support implementation of a range of educational, recreational and social
support programs in all 50 states, serving school-aged youth and adults with IDD and volunteers who
support Best Buddies programs. Best Buddies, founded in 1989, has successful chapters on 1,500
middle school, high school, and college campuses worldwide and has made a positive impact on the
lives of 700,000 participants. The Best Buddies experience includes leadership training for students
with and without IDD; advocacy training through BUILD (Buddies United in Leadership Development)
and social activities in group and one-to-one settings. In addition to teaching social skills to those with
IDD, volunteers report engaging in skills training in the areas of transportation, job skills and personal
finance.

Funding for Research and Training Activities – The act would establish a national competitive grant
program for universities working in the field of IDD and sport and social impact. Special Olympics
would compete to become the national coordinating entity for these activities. These activities would
include scholarship, research and training to advance the field of IDD studies, particularly applied
research, and provide training and educational opportunities for persons with IDD, advocates and
volunteers.
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FISCAL YEAR 2012
APPROPRIATIONS REQUESTS SUMMARY
The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety
of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing
opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of
gifts, skills, and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.
Special Olympics currently serves more than 3.5 million athletes with intellectual disabilities in 170 countries
around the world. While federal resources only represent 3% of Special Olympics global program value for
services, our sustained, quality growth has been strengthened considerably by critical federal seed funding.
We greatly appreciate the extraordinary level of support in Congress for Special Olympics and seek to sustain
our momentum as we expand quality programs that serve people with intellectual disabilities in the United
States and around the world.
The mission of Best Buddies is to establish a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-toone friendships, integrated employment, and leadership development for people with IDD. With more than
1,500 chapters around the world, Best Buddies enhances the lives of 700,000 participants with and without
IDD, as well as their respective networks of family, friends, and employers.
In addition to providing people with IDD the opportunity to be integrated into the community and reach their
full potential and achieve their dreams, Best Buddies also teaches people who are not disabled the value of
those with IDD. Many volunteers in the middle school, high school, and college programs will become leaders
in the private sector and will hold decision-making roles that will shape the future of our communities. They
will become CEOs of companies who will hire a person with a disability, landlords who will rent an apartment
to a person with a disability, principals and teachers who will ensure full integration in the school system,
doctors and nurses who will treat them with respect when healing them and policymakers who will lobby for
the rights of people with disabilities. Additionally, Best Buddies Citizens, e-Buddies® and Best Buddies Jobs
provide a bridge to successfully transition people with and without IDD from school into the real world.
Best Buddies looks forward to the support of Congress as it continues to expand its impact on people with IDD,
in communities around the world. Together, Special Olympics and Best Buddies urge Members of Congress to
appropriate the full funding authorized in The Eunice Kennedy Shriver Act.
We request the following FY 2012 Appropriations:
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$9.5 million for Special Olympics Education Activities
o Continue to grow and expand Special Olympics Project UNIFY
o Expand Young Athletes Outreach and Research
o Strengthen and grow Unified Sports
o Increase reach of inclusive Special Olympics service learning and character education
curriculum
o Public Education for youth, coach and athlete recruitment
o Provide internet community and networking for youth
o Secure support from the nation’s education leaders

$4.5 million for Special Olympics International Activities
o Support program development and growth in underserved areas such as Africa, Asia and the
Middle East
o Enhance the image of the U.S. among countries of the world

$8.5 million for Special Olympics Healthy Athletes
o Recruit and train health care professionals
o Establish partnerships with medical service providers
o Implement global health education and promotion
o Provide infrastructure and leadership to expand program
o Develop information to identify and disseminate needs and best practices
o Provide seed funding that enables volunteer-driven health screening programs

$2 million for Best Buddies Jobs
o Launch new employer partner locations in additional cities nationwide
o Expand the number of employment opportunities developed for adults with IDD
o Enhance the support services provided to adults with IDD to ensure they maintain employment
o Develop partnerships with employers so they understand the abilities of people with IDD

$8 million for Best Buddies Inclusion and Student Leadership Programs
o Expand Best Buddies middle schools, high schools, and colleges to support inclusion programs
for school-aged youth and adults with IDD
o Provide training for volunteers who support Best Buddies programs
o Expand the Ambassador training program for people with IDD
o Increase the number of student leaders with and without IDD trained at the annual student
leadership conference
o Increase the number of student leaders with and without IDD trained at local leadership
training days in communities around the nation
o Expand participation in e-Buddies, including promotion of the e-Buddies E-Mail Trainer
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Funding for Research and Training Activities Conducted Through a Competitive Grant Program
o Establish, through a national competitive grant program for universities working in the field of
IDD and sport and social impact, a research and training program to advance the field of
intellectual disability studies, particularly applied research
o Develop a base for scholarship and training in the field of intellectual and developmental
disability and adapted sports
o Provide training and educational opportunities for persons with intellectual disability,
advocates and volunteers
o Special Olympics would compete to become the national coordinating entity for these activities
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For additional information about Best Buddies, Special Olympics, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Act and our
FY2012 appropriations requests, please contact:
Special Olympics
Dr. Stephen Corbin
Sr. Vice President of Community Impact
Special Olympics, Inc.
1133 19th Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 824-0283
scorbin@specialolympics.org
Best Buddies
Lisa Derx
Vice President of Government Relations
Best Buddies International
300 D Street SW, Suite PH,
Washington, D.C. 20024
(202) 554-4801
lisaderx@bestbuddies.org
Steve Carey
Legislative Consultant
(703) 395-1241
scarey@fabiani-co.com
“The right to play on any playing field? You have earned it.
The right to study in any school? You have earned it.
The right to hold a job? You have earned it.
The right to be anyone’s neighbor?
You have earned it.”
~ Eunice Kennedy Shriver
www.EuniceKennedyShriver.org
www.BestBuddies.org
www.SpecialOlympics.org
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