Special Olympics Zooming Ahead with Athletes Leading the Pack
The 2023 Special Olympics World Games in Berlin were nothing short of electrifying. A picture-perfect moment captured by Marvin Ibo Güngör/LOC/Marvin Ibo Güngör
One powerful kick changed Garrett Utz’s world forever. Eight years ago, at his first soccer practice, his mighty boot impressed coaches with its sheer force. Now, Utz is taking the game to new heights—from the Seattle suburbs to fields in Berlin and Abu Dhabi. “It’s super exciting,” he exclaims.
Haleigh Sommers found her sports glory closer to home, at a bowling alley in Pennsylvania. Maneuvering her wheelchair, she skillfully nudged ball after ball down a metal ramp and toward the pocket—toppling enough pins to set a new high score of 140. “Absolutely thrilling,” she shares.
These victories were achieved at events hosted by Special Olympics, an organization that offers year-round training and a wide range of team and individual sports worldwide for nearly 4.6 million individuals with intellectual disabilities.
Utz and Sommers, both 28, will cherish these memories for years to come. But what excites them even more now is contributing to Special Olympics’ technological advancement.
By utilizing Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales, Special Olympics is creating a digital “center of excellence” to streamline online sports registrations for athletes and mobilize millions of volunteers who play vital roles as event organizers, coaches, health specialists, and fundraisers.
Selected athletes and volunteers were invited to test the new interface, providing valuable feedback on its design and functionality, shaping the platform’s overall user experience.
“For someone like me with a disability, being able to share feedback that is actually heard and considered is empowering,” Sommers, who has cerebral palsy, expresses. “It’s amazing to see how involved I’ve become in Special Olympics. I never imagined it!”
Utz adds, “As athletes, parents, guardians, and caregivers, we aim to make Special Olympics the best nonprofit organization. I’m grateful we’ve moved to the 21st-century with simplified registration processes.”
This technological evolution is all about fostering inclusivity, a core principle since Special Olympics’ inception in 1968 under the leadership of Eunice Kennedy Shriver. Inspired by her sister Rosemary, who had an intellectual disability, Shriver believed in the transformative power of sports for individuals with intellectual abilities.
Nathan Cook, the Chief Information Officer at Special Olympics, highlights the need for systems and processes that cater to the unique abilities of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The aim is to enable easy participation and ensure everyone gets a fair chance to excel in sports.
By incorporating feedback from athletes like Utz and Sommers, Special Olympics continues to refine its technology. Utz suggested adding a save feature for work in progress to enhance user experience, while Sommers recommended a more accurate approval notification system.
This commitment to user input is not just standard practice at Special Olympics—it is at the heart of the organization’s ethos.
Emphasizing this athlete-centric approach, Kymberly Jordan, Vice President of Global Corporate Engagement at Special Olympics, asserts, “We are led by our athletes and individuals with intellectual disabilities.”
In addition to enhancing user experience, the shift towards digitalization also aligns with the organization’s goal of maintaining cost efficiency.
To support this financial responsibility, Special Olympics turned to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales, an AI-powered CRM solution that facilitates improved client relationships and operational efficiency.
Cook emphasizes the seamless integration between Dynamics 365 Sales and Microsoft Power Apps, a low-code development platform that aids in the modernization of legacy systems. This approach allows for cost-effective maintenance and support, reducing the total cost of ownership over time.
The digital “center of excellence” now serves as a hub for athlete data collection and storage, including participation history, releases, and waivers. Safeguarding athlete data privacy is paramount, with Microsoft Azure ensuring secure data handling.
Moving forward, the center of excellence will centralize athletes’ health reports, maintain an event calendar, and enhance volunteer retention through digital engagement strategies.
The implementation of AI technologies, such as Copilot for Microsoft 365, is accelerating daily tasks within the organization, improving efficiency and productivity. Staff members like Jerry Holy, a Special Olympics data management specialist and athlete, have found AI tools invaluable in their roles.
Holy envisions AI becoming a valuable tool for the organization’s growth, particularly in recruiting younger talent who seek to broaden their skill sets.
In the grand scheme of things, the digital transformation at Special Olympics signifies a commitment to innovation, inclusion, and sustainability. By empowering athletes and volunteers to actively shape the organization’s future, Special Olympics is not just embracing technology—it is redefining what it means to support individuals with intellectual disabilities in the modern world.
#SpecialOlympics #TechEvolution #InclusivityWin #EmpoweringAthletes
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