WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A ceremony this past week for Tri-County League athletes in most ways was just like any other end-of-season banquet, with fond stories of notable performances throughout the school year.

But there was something different about Thursday’s gathering in the Wichita East High School Library, where a dozen athletes with special needs received varsity letters for the first time.

The debate over whether special-needs athletes should be recognized in the same way as varsity players gained national attention earlier this year when a Wichita mom argued her son with Down syndrome deserved a letter as much as anyone else.

The Wichita Eagle reports the Tri-County League, which consists of special-needs students from five Wichita high schools and several area schools, agreed.