Special Olympics gets ready for inaugural Gaming for Inclusion Tournament
By Mark Carman
Special Olympics, Microsoft and Xbox are raising the bar with the launch of the Gaming for Inclusion tournament, Sep. 12-14.
Inclusion has many forms. On an obstacle course or in the pool, it means boys and girls playing together along with people living with an intellectual disability in a unified event. 53 years ago when the Special Olympics started, that was the goal.
The world has changed just a bit over the last 50 years. More on more people are competing in front of computers. To keep up, Microsoft, Xbox and the Special Olympics have partnered together on a new event.
For three days this coming September,190 athletes with and without intellectual disabilities will sit in front of computers and compete in the inaugural Gaming for Inclusion experience.
What is the Special Olympics Gaming for Inclusion Tournament?
Games on the docket are Rocket League, Madden NFL 22 and Forza Motorsport 7 on Xbox. There is quite the prize for the winners, who will get to compete against NBA superstar Jayson Tatum, NFL legend Jamaal Charles, and WWE superstars in a Unified showcase event on Sep. 18, culminating the new initiative.
The goal for this event was a simple one.
“To be able to build that teamwork and camaraderie that they are used to in person,” said Prianka Nandy Chief Information and Technology Officer for Special Olympics. “The esports world has exploded obviously over many years, and now it’s time for us to put our feet in there and leverage it the way that we know how and really focusing on inclusion in that context.”
The toe was dipped in the water initially at the Xbox Virtual Gaming Event in 2020 when Microsoft and Special Olympics first came together in the esports space.
“Esports are really being seen as a way to drive inclusion and to really drive home that gaming is a space for everyone,” Jenn Panattoni Head of Xbox Social Impact said. “That’s something that at Xbox we very much believe that gaming is a place for everyone, and we want everyone to feel like they are welcome and that they’re included.”
Virtual events continue to have huge importance in bringing together people as the pandemic drags along. Loneliness and isolation have been a challenge for many, especially amongst people with intellectual disabilities.
There will be plenty of unity, competition and inclusion combatting those challenges come this September courtesy of Special Olympics, Microsoft and Xbox.
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