Earlier this week, Kiera Byland, BEM made historical past because the first-ever athlete with mental disabilities to handle greater than 400 sport journalists from 5 totally different continents who attended the AIPS International Centennial Congress in Santa Susanna, Barcelona, Spain. The next is an excerpt from AIPS’s protection of Kiera’s advocacy for folks with mental disabilities and her problem to attendees and viewers for extra inclusion in sports activities.
COMPELLING PLEA
With a compelling plea for unified inclusion, Byland implored journalists to leverage their platforms to create a extra inclusive world—one the place each athlete, no matter means, is welcomed and celebrated. Highlighting the huge attain of Particular Olympics throughout greater than 170 international locations, she invited journalists to forge connections with native applications and amplify their affect via storytelling.
“We’d like extra sports activities media overlaying our Particular Olympics occasions and telling our tales. There are over 200 million folks with IDD around the globe. The purpose is to succeed in out to each one in every of them and their households, to carry them the reward of sport although Particular Olympics. And you’ll assist us,” she made her plea to the AIPS delegates.
“CHOOSE TO INCLUDE” In closing, Byland challenged the viewers to embrace inclusivity not solely in sports activities journalism but in addition of their organisations. With a easy but profound message—”Select to incorporate”—she referred to as upon each particular person to play a job in fostering a extra equitable and accepting society.