Very Special Arts was founded in 1974 by Jean Kennedy Smith as an affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to help people with disabilities develop learning skills, increase independence and improve quality of life through programs in the arts. The organization is grounded in the beliefs that: art is a universal language expressing the perceptions and sensibilities of society; art is an educational process for developing creative talents and skills that may not be realized through traditional teaching methods; and that nowhere are the educational and rehabilitative benefits of the arts more compelling than for people with disabilities.