CWRU students unite with Special Olympics Ohio to bring inclusive healthcare—and basketball—to campus
A community event connected athletes with health resources and gave CWRU students hands-on experience in patient-centered care.
As an undergraduate at Case Western Reserve University, Shailee Shroff (CWR ’24) wanted to create opportunities for people of all abilities to connect through sports. Inspired by her younger brother who has a learning disability, she helped launch a campus and community basketball event in partnership with Special Olympics Ohio and the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Youth Sports program. Athletes come to sharpen their basketball skills in an inclusive, adapted environment.
Now a second-year CWRU medical student, Shroff has seen the initiative expand beyond basketball to incorporate healthcare programming for athletes. On Nov. 6, students from participating local schools gathered at Veale Recreation Center to play basketball with coaches from the Cavaliers' youth sports program and to access health screenings and wellness education.
“I want this to feel like an inclusive space where they can come, enjoy, have a good time,” Shroff said.
This year, the event featured five Special Olympics Ohio health programs—MedFest, Special Smiles, Health Promotion, Strong Minds and EmpowerHER—set up as stations throughout Veale. Athletes took turns visiting each station where CWRU students and other volunteers provided health screenings and wellness education.
Compassionate care in action
At the MedFest station, a Special Olympics program offering sports physicals, athletes lined up for physical examinations as CWRU medical students worked alongside physicians and gained firsthand experience caring for people with intellectual disabilities.
“Our job is to make sure that athletes are healthy, and if they have health issues, that we direct them to whatever they need to do in order to become healthier,” said Carl V. Tyler Jr., MD (GRS ’99, family medicine), a Cleveland Clinic physician and MedFest's clinical director.
Suparna Mahalaha, DDS (DEN ’01; GRS ’04, public health), the Special Smiles clinical director and an associate professor at CWRU School of Dental Medicine, joined dental students and residents to provide dental screenings and oral health education. Mahalaha emphasized the importance of “meeting that person exactly where they are” and adapting care to each patient's abilities and needs—an approach she encourages future dental professionals to embrace.
Pediatric dentistry resident Fouad Darwish Ahmed, DMD (DEN ’26), who worked alongside Mahalaha at the Special Smiles station, also highlighted the value of a thoughtful approach to patient care. He described the “tell-show-do” technique: explain a procedure, demonstrate it and then perform it. For athletes who may need additional reassurance or different ways of communicating, such adjustments can make dental care less intimidating, he explained.
The focus on addressing specific healthcare needs extended to EmpowerHER, one of Special Olympics Ohio's newest offerings—initiated by O'Neal and developed in collaboration with CWRU medical students, including Amanda Faust and Shroff. According to Faust, the program was designed to address gaps in health information and resources available to female athletes with intellectual disabilities. During the event, athletes received information on menstrual health, personal hygiene and other women's health topics, while being encouraged to ask questions and take an active role in their own care.
Partnering for access—and connection
Though healthcare was a prominent feature of the event, basketball has remained center stage since its inception. Coaches from Cavs Youth Sports worked directly with athletes on the court for drills, games and opportunities to connect.
“Partnering with Special Olympics Ohio has helped Cavs Youth Sports open our programs to more athletes and expand the positive impact we have on our community,” said Melanie Seiser, vice president of youth sports and community development. “We are committed to showing up for every player no matter their age, skill or experience, offering opportunities for all to grow both on and off the court.”
For Special Olympics Ohio’s Amy O'Neal, senior director of health strategies, and Kristi Peters, director of youth engagement for participating schools, the event was about more than sports and healthcare. It created opportunities for meaningful interactions that challenge stereotypes and encourage a more holistic approach to health and wellness. It also brought into focus a broader goal: to create communities where, as Peters put it, people see ability before disability and inclusion becomes the expectation, not the exception.
