Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi, known for her starring roles in "Memoirs of a Geisha" and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is now a Special Olympics Global Ambassador.

In her new role, Zhang pledges to spread the organization's message of inclusion and acceptance of people with intellectual disabilities to an international audience. Zhang's announcement was made during a reception for the "Special Olympics For Social Harmony" forum held at United Nations headquarters in New York City.

"As a Global Ambassador, I am committed to helping Special Olympics transform attitudes and dispel negative stereotypes on a global level," said Zhang Ziyi. "I hope to help people understand that we need to celebrate and appreciate differences. We all have worth, we all have value, and we're all better off when we help each other out."

Zhang joins a select group of celebrities who are dedicated to spreading the Special Olympics movement and message. They include California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger; boxing legend Muhammad Ali; Olympian Nadia Comaneci; and performer Vanessa Williams.

More than 190 million people worldwide have an intellectual disability, making it the largest disability group worldwide. Intellectual disability crosses racial, ethnic, educational, social and economic lines, and can occur in any family.

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