Special Olympics Kenya received a Healthy Communities grant, supported by the Golisano Foundation, from 2016-2019. The Healthy Communities grant has propelled the health work within Special Olympics Kenya and has improved the health of athletes in Kenya and their access to quality care. The partnerships and foundation established through the Healthy Communities grant is continuing on after the grant. Special Olympics Kenya started their Healthy Community work at the county levels in Nairobi and Nandi counties. Special Olympics Kenya has been conducting trainings of healthcare workers and providers in Nairobi County to include persons with intellectual disabilities and their families. Due to this involvement, Nairobi County has created Disability Mainstreaming Committees in the major health facilities in the county, as well as trained and built the capacity of healthcare workers in all their health facilities. In Nandi County, the government is using resources and personnel to assist persons with intellectual disabilities in registering with the National Council for Persons with Disabilities. On the national level, accessibility to universal health care for those with disabilities (including ID) is featured prominently in the 2018- 2022 strategic plan of Margaret Kenyatta, the First Lady of Kenya and the Patron of Special Olympics Kenya. In her strategic plan, she has provided guidelines on how to provide inclusive health care to persons with ID.
Special Olympics Kenya has developed partnership to bring prevention and wellness opportunities to people with ID, to train health providers and health workers and to develop resources, services and policies that allow people with ID in Kenya to access quality health services. Partners include: Nandi County government, Nandi County Health Department, Kenya Medical Training College Campus Kisumu, Kisumu County Health Department, Lions SightFirst Eye Hospital, Makueni County Health Department, UNICEF, Catholic Relief Services.
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