Evaluating a large-scale community-based inclusion program: A mixed-methods study of the Special Olympics Host Town Program.

Community-based interventions are increasingly implemented to promote the social inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities. However, evidence regarding their large-scale impact across individual and organizational levels remains limited. This convergent mixed-methods study evaluated the Host Town Program, a short-term initiative implemented across Germany during the Special Olympics World Games 2023. Quantitative data were collected from stakeholders in sports clubs, schools, and local governments in Host Towns and matched control communities (baseline n = 488; post-intervention n = 218; 6-month follow-up n = 189). Attitudes toward people with intellectual disabilities were assessed using the ATTID-SF, translated into German. Measurement properties (test-retest reliability, convergent/structural validity) were assessed using a pilot study and baseline data. Qualitative data were obtained from stakeholders and people with intellectual disabilities through interviews and focus groups in Host Towns (n = 106). Quantitative findings indicated small reductions only in 'Sensitivity or tenderness' at post-intervention (p = 0.003; f²=0.05). Effects were not sustained at 6-month follow-up. Qualitative findings indicated that the program primarily reinforced pre-existing positive attitudes. However, stakeholders described the development of inter-organizational networks associated with the program that supported the transition of physical activity programs from segregated to mainstream settings and contributed to cultural change within some sports clubs. People with intellectual disabilities reported new forms of community involvement characterized by temporary social roles extending beyond disability-related identities. While large-scale education and contact-based interventions may have limited effects on attitude change, qualitative findings suggest that they may support organizational and participatory processes relevant to social inclusion, including local network development, perceived cultural change, and convivial encounters.