Cocreating an Inclusive Evaluation: Lessons Learned From Special Olympics Project ALL STAR Across Six US States.

Abstract

Special Olympics (SO) is committed to inclusive evaluation practices that center the needs and priorities of athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Project ALL STAR, a longitudinal health evaluation, was cocreated with athletes with IDD across evaluation phases from project conception to dissemination. SO adopted inclusive evaluation practices, including training, developing plain-language tools and consent materials, producing athlete-led media, and delivering inclusive presentations. Lessons learned from this process inform practices to embed meaningful participation across Project ALL STAR evaluation activities. (<i>Am J Public Health</i>. 2026; 116(S2):S79-S83. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2026.308462).