At Special Olympics the athletes competing in various sports try giving their best performance but what they really need is better health facilities during the Special Olympic competitions that are held around the world volunteer doctors and nurses give the athletes a special health screening and what is found is shocking.

What they more often than not uncover is evidence of a continual gap in health care for people with mental disabilities.

In fundamental areas like, foot and eye care, dental work and hearing exams their un-met requirements are inexcusable. Out of the 76,900 athletes examined since 2007 till 2011, more than 37 percent had untreated tooth decay. Over half the number had gait abnormalities, which is an indicator of ill-fitting shoes. More than 20 percent had never had an eye exam.

Such problems earlier persisted in poor nations but even in North America the results for ailments like untreated gum disease were as bad as elsewhere.

This might not be a shocking revelation for some but is still appalling that with such advancements in medicine and sports these athletes that are already at a disadvantage physically have to suffer and are still suffering more physical ailments.