Volunteering with the BC Special Olympics: Healthy Athletes Special Smiles

I volunteered with the BC Special Olympics through their Healthy Athletes program, which is a collaborative interprofessional health promotion initiative for the athletes to learn about their overall health in different sectors. I was part of the Special Smiles program which aimed to address the unique issues faced by individuals with intellectual disabilities who have difficulties communicating their needs and accessing oral health care services. We provided oral cancer screenings, personal self-care education, and sports guards for the athletes. I enjoyed working with the athletes and coming up with different teaching strategies to suit their different ability levels. This program gave me an excellent opportunity to experience a wide variety of different disabilities that I had previously not encountered. I'm grateful that I had the chance to work with this community and hope that I can advocate for them in the future as well.

Although society is always evolving, there's no question that having an intellectual disability comes with certain stigmas and negative stereotypes. Spending time volunteering with this program helped me to further appreciate the importance of a holistic approach to care. It's key to remember that we are treating people and not mouths or a disease. We are there to empower individuals to achieve their optimal oral health and the only way to do that is to work with them, not for them ,

Pictured: Top (2015), bottom (2016)

#healthpromotion #advocacy #communication #oralhealtheducation