The Government of Dominica and Special Olympics Dominica have formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding to expand Special Olympics Unified Sports programming across the island, reinforcing the country’s commitment to inclusion through sport.
The agreement, signed between the Ministry of Culture, Youth, Sports and Community Development and Special Olympics Dominica, marks Dominica’s official entry into the Special Olympics Global Coalition for Inclusion. With the signing, Dominica becomes the 20th country worldwide and the third in the Caribbean to join the coalition. The Government has committed EC$69,000 over the next three years to support the initiative, which is expected to reach 15 schools and engage approximately 1,000 young people.
The MoU was signed by Sports Coordinator Trevor Shillingford on behalf of the Ministry and Ainsworth Irish, Director of Special Olympics Dominica.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Shillingford said the initiative aligns closely with one of the Ministry’s key pillars, sports for development.
“This initiative is one which fits nicely into one of our key pillars in the Ministry of Sports, which is sports for development, where sport is used to achieve developmental goals,” Shillingford said. “The areas targeted by this particular programme are areas of national development, particularly making social changes, and we are very happy to be part of this.”
He added that the programme reflects the Government’s ongoing commitment to persons with disabilities.
“This initiative is yet another example of where government is showing tangible support to the disability movement within our society,” Shillingford noted. “The government will provide support to this new initiative in the area of funding, and this programme will be fully funded by the Government of Dominica with support from Special Olympics International.”
Shillingford also confirmed that technical staff from the Ministry will work alongside Special Olympics Dominica to ensure proper implementation of the programme in primary schools across the island.
“This programme will ensure a change in mindset, not only towards persons with disabilities but also in our national consciousness, showing that people with different capacities can work together to achieve a common goal,” he said. “We believe this can transcend the sport system and become a template for our society as a whole.”
Senior Director of Global Government Relations and Education Policy for Special Olympics International, Haylie Wrubel, described Dominica’s entry into the coalition as a landmark achievement.
“This is monumental because Dominica is our 20th country joining the Global Coalition,” Wrubel said. “Dominica may be a small country, but it has a lot of influence in the region and within the Commonwealth, and this shows that even with a small population, every citizen is valued.”
Wrubel also highlighted the regional significance of the move.
“It is only our third Caribbean country to join, setting a precedent across the Caribbean, particularly within the Eastern Caribbean,” she said. “What makes this especially significant is that the government is not just saying it believes in inclusion, but is actually putting funding behind the work.”
She added that Dominica now joins a small group of countries globally that are financially supporting inclusion initiatives through sport.
“We are extremely grateful, and having Dominica as our 20th country to join the Global Coalition is truly incredible,” Wrubel said.
