Jürgen Dusel received the loudest applause at the opening of the Healthy Athletes program at the Special Olympics World Games 2023 at the City Cube at Messe Berlin. The Federal Government Commissioner for the Interests of Disabled People did not speak long, but he clearly summed up two important wishes.

On the one hand, the training of health professionals must focus more on the treatment of people with mental and multiple disabilities. This includes, for example, training in plain language, because people come up to him and say, “we don’t understand them”. Especially doctors are targeted. And second, “doctors don’t have enough time.” According to Dusel, it’s definitely a budget issue – but one that obviously needs to be addressed.

While waiting for the health system to implement these requirements, private initiatives must fill the remaining gaps in public provision, despite legal obligations. One such effort – perhaps the greatest effort for the health of those in need – is the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes program. 2,000 volunteers will organize the various examinations of the approximately 7,000 athletes over the next few days.

3000 examinations were carried out

There are seven stations where this happens: prevention and healthy eating, physiotherapy, dental, eye, ear and foot examination, and emotional health. On the first day, according to the dedicated helpers on site, not much was happening as everyone was preparing for the opening ceremony. Nevertheless, 1000 examinations have already been carried out and 22 hearing aids have been distributed. By the end of the second day, a total of 3,000 exams had been completed and 295 athletes needed to improve their visual aids.

It would be a highlight if politicians provided more financial resources for the health needs of people with disabilities.

Reynaldo Montayo, former cyclist and now SOD Health Ambassador

Diagnoses are mainly low-threshold. In the ear check service, which is mainly staffed by volunteer ENT doctors, for example, tests are used that are normally used on newborn babies. Vision tests use symbols instead of letters, which can then be pointed at to break other barriers.

On the second day of the World Games, an incredibly lively bustle could be observed in the City Cube. Athletes from United Arab Emirates, Costa Rica, Egypt, Iceland, India, Bahamas, Morocco, Kuwait, Costa Rica, Jordan, Venezuela, Algeria, Finland, Togo and Curaçao have been thoroughly checked and then receive a small reward.

In addition to hearing aids, glasses or adapted shoes, which are distributed or prescribed in this program, dental hygiene is elementary. A study conducted by Healthy Athletes found that 40% of athletes studied had untreated tooth decay.

The statement of the Minister of Health Prof. Dr. Karl Lauterbach, who officially opened the program that health is definitely not the priority at the IOC Olympics, may be right. However, it also describes a completely different problem. After all, the Healthy Athletes program is about basic care.

So it’s no surprise that Reynaldo Montayo, a former Special Olympics Germany (SOD) cyclist from Berlin-Lichtenberg and now a health ambassador for the organization, said in passing: “It would be a highlight if politicians had more financial resources for health issues than would provide for people with disabilities.

After all, there has already been a small success, reports Dr. Imke Kaschke, director of health at SOD. Since 2018, additional preventive services in the field of dentistry are paid for people with intellectual disabilities.