Microsoft for Nonprofits’ Post

What does it look like when technology is built with communities — not for them? In this podcast episode, Nathaniel Cook, CIO of Special Olympics International, shares how the organization is re‑imagining digital transformation around a simple but powerful principle: “Nothing about us, without us.” The conversation explores how Special Olympics: 🌍 Unified fragmented systems into a global digital platform ✍️ Enabled 2.5 million athletes to self‑register for the first time 🎧 Put universal design into practice by listening before building 🩺 Piloted Med Buddy, an AI‑powered healthcare assistant supporting clearer, more dignified medical visits 🤖 Confronted AI bias and ableism, and what responsible AI must address before it scale Nathan also shares a moment from a Microsoft accessibility lab that captures the 'why' behind this work, a mother hearing her nonverbal son communicate for the first time through technology she never thought possible. It’s a candid, practical conversation about trust, co‑creation, and using AI to expand belonging.  Listen to the episode: https://lnkd.in/evwi3P5u