Shriver and Kasich: The nation came together for a good cause and it made a difference (opinion)

The $18 million in Special Olympics federal funding that the US education secretary had proposed cutting was money that is specifically designated for programs that support students with intellectual disabilities in public school sports and in the classroom. These school programs not only transform the lives of students with disabilities, but they also teach the rest of our students about the importance of acceptance and equality for all.

As two people who for years have each had our own close involvement with Special Olympics and the needs of the intellectually disabled — one of us as a governor who made meeting those needs a priority and the other as a lifelong advocate for Special Olympics and daughter of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the program’s founder — we are moved to add our voices to the rising chorus of those who believe in the importance of supporting federal funding for this invaluable organization.

We understand the deep and lasting value of Special Olympics. We’ve seen its power in schools and in communities across the nation and we know that our entire society benefits when all our citizens are able to participate in and contribute to those communities. We have labored for many years, each in our own roles, to help see those powers multiplied.

In Ohio, the Kasich administration over its eight years invested millions of dollars, despite budgetary pressures, to make sure that the disabled could be mainstreamed into all aspects of society, live in their own homes, receive good care and find meaningful employment in their own communities. Special Olympics was the standard by which those efforts were measured, held up as a model for a range of programs giving people hope and respect and the ability to live their dreams.

American schools today are starving for programs and strategies that teach inclusion, belonging, purpose and empathy. These are lessons that all Americans, regardless of political party, know our country needs. Special Olympics is teaching these values to all our students — both those with intellectual disabilities and those without.

Our country needs to come together, now more than ever. As public servants, as parents and as citizens, it is our steadfast belief that our nation is sorely in need of an education in acceptance and inclusion, which Special Olympics provides. This is an issue that can unite us, as we’ve seen today with the outcry that brought about a reversal of these budget cuts. Let’s stay the course on this issue and see to it that Special Olympics and its values remain a priority for all.