Inclusive Nutrition Initiative

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The Inclusive Nutrition Initiative is a collaborative effort to ensure people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are able to reap the benefits of national nutrition programs in the United States.

Inspired by the National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health

In September 2022, the Biden-Harris Administration released a National Strategy and hosted a conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. People with IDD experience health issues in greater numbers than the general population. Many of these health issues are not connected to their disability, but many of them are connected to hunger and nutrition. Promisingly, several portions of the National Strategy mention people with disabilities. Greater awareness and action are needed to address these health disparities and to ensure the intentional inclusion of people with IDD in the implementation of the National Strategy.

Special Olympics, along with other conference attendees, were encouraged to “make bold and impactful commitments…to help end hunger and increase healthy eating and physical activity by 2030.” The Inclusive Nutrition Initiative is part of how Special Olympics is contributing to make these ambitious goals a reality for people with IDD.

Aiming to Make National Nutrition Programs Intentionally Inclusive and Accessible

Launched in 2023, the Inclusive Nutrition Initiative aims to bring awareness and action to the front lines of the health system and the broader ecosystem to ensure the intentional inclusion of people with IDD in the implementation of the National Strategy.

To do this, the Initiative:

Raises Awareness

of the health disparities faced by people with IDD to national nutrition program agencies and administrators

Engages

state and Tribal delegations as champions of the effort

Supports

state and Tribal delegations to create and follow through on commitments to intentionally include people with IDD in their work, including through resource- and experience-sharing
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2023 Summit

The first annual Inclusive Nutrition Summit gathered state and Tribal leaders in nutrition in the United States, to discuss inclusive nutrition programming.
Read about the 2023 Summit

Interested?

Special Olympics expects to see the Inclusive Nutrition Initiative grow in coming years, both by expanding existing state and tribal delegations and welcoming new delegations.
Express Interest