Abstract
Drawing on twenty years of annual aggregate data collected from activity sites across Japan,
this study analyzed trends and characteristics among people with intellectual disabilities who are
members of the Special Olympics, an organization that supports lifelong sporting activities for people with intellectual disabilities. The state of social resources related to support for sporting activities for children and adults with intellectual disabilities was also examined.
The results of the analysis identified the following characteristic trends among people with
intellectual disabilities who are members of the Special Olympics Nippon. (1) While the number of
members with intellectual disabilities increased steadily after the start of the organization＇s activities in 1994, this number has remained steady at slightly under 8,000 individuals since 2009. (2) Between 2011 and 2016 (the years for which detailed records of age exist), the proportion of boys aged 8–15 years old decreased from 19.5% to 13.6%, and of boys aged 16–21 years old from 25.1% to 22.7%. (3) In contrast, the proportion of men aged 22 years and over increased from 32.6% to 41.1%. (4) These changes are only apparent for men, with no significant increase or decrease among women.
Conversely, no particularly significant changes were apparent in recent years in relation to school
education, local sports, of relevant social welfare services.
The relative decline in new membership among young people and the stagnation of
membership even as sports are being promoted throughout society indicate that the organization
is not moving in a developmental direction. The results of this study suggest the need for more
detailed research in the future.
