A Story: “We Have A Lot To Learn From Them”
The Special Olympics for the disabled is held every year in Seattle, USA. In 1976, at the Seattle Special Olympics, 9 mentally and physically disabled lined up on the starting line for the 100 meters. Among them,there were participants who could not even walk at almost normal walking speed with their special cane.
The starting signal was not made with a gunshot as usual and the race started by pressing the button of a piano. When the starting signal was given, they all made a move together. This was not a quick start as usual. But they all wanted to win or at least finish the race with smiles on their faces.
As soon as they started the race, a young man among them stumbled and fell to the ground and began to cry because he was hurt. The other 8 people heard the young man crying. They slowed down and looked back. Then all at once they changed their course and turned back. They came to the young man. One of them, a girl with Down syndrome, bent down and kissed him on the cheek and said:
“This helps make him better.”
Then, they all joined hands and walked together to the finish line. Everyone in the stadium stood up and applauded for minutes. People who witnessed this event still tell this story. Why? Because we know this unique truth: what matters in this life is more than winning for ourselves. The important thing in this life is to be happy and help other disabled people to win, even if it means slowing down and changing our course.
With this project, we aim to enable people to develop the same feelings and wishes for children and individuals with mental disabilities and furthermore to improve the expertise of those who will help them.