Brightspot

Since 2009, Brightspot has partnered closely with Special Olympics as a digital partner, helping strengthen the organization’s global presence and elevate the voices and stories of athletes around the world. What began as a simple website redesign has grown into a long-term, mission-driven partnership rooted in shared values of inclusion, dignity, and the belief that everyone deserves the chance to shine.

Brightspot’s support spans both digital innovation and hands-on volunteerism. While the team powers multiple websites and tools that share stories, drive engagement, and support global competitions, Brightspot employees also show up in person—volunteering at World and USA Games, local and state competitions, and other community initiatives.

Together, Brightspot and Special Olympics are building a more connected, inclusive digital ecosystem while strengthening the communities that athletes, families, and fans rely on every day.

For over a decade, Brightspot and Special Olympics have worked together to transform SpecialOlympics.org into a dynamic platform that shares athlete stories, advances mission initiatives, and inspires millions to take action in the fight for inclusion of individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Brightspot first contributed by providing a revamped design that first debuted in late 2011 after nearly a year of close collaboration between the two organizations. The site introduced features that were groundbreaking at the time: location-aware photos and news, deeply integrated and regionally tailored social media, and core content available in six languages.

In 2018, the website was redesigned and migrated onto the Brightspot platform, enabling faster updates, greater scalability, and continued improvements in accessibility and performance. Today, the site evolves year-round to ensure Special Olympics—global and always on—remains at the forefront of digital excellence.

Since 2015, Brightspot has served as the core digital engine for the majority of Special Olympics World Games, powering events in Los Angeles (2015), Abu Dhabi (2019), Berlin (2023) and Turin (2025). Looking ahead, the partnership extends to upcoming World Games in Santiago (2027) and Switzerland (2029).

The Brightspot platform provides Local Organizing Committees with the essential tools needed to promote the Games, share critical logistics, celebrate local culture, and successfully recruit thousands of volunteers. During each Games, these digital properties become essential, multilingual information hubs—managed with speed and flexibility—for athletes, families, coaches, spectators, and fans around the world.

The partnership has expanded to include national events, beginning with the Special Olympics Team USA website. This foundation led to the launch of the USA Games Minnesota 2026 website, bringing the world-class digital experience developed for the World Games to one of Special Olympics’ largest national events.

Recognizing the need for a unified home for competition data, Brightspot partnered with Special Olympics to create a digital Schedule & Results Platform that fully integrates with Special Olympics’ games management system. This evolving archive preserves the history of these competitions, while also providing real-time schedule and results updates to enhance the visibility of athletes on the world stage.

In 2024, Brightspot redesigned and replatformed the Law Enforcement Torch Run® website. The Law Enforcement Torch Run® is the largest grassroots fundraiser for Special Olympics. This revamped site raises awareness, shares essential resources, and highlights the impact of law enforcement officers who champion inclusion in their communities. It also serves as a central hub for information about LETR’s annual conference, helping programs stay informed and connected year-round.

To help create a more cohesive digital identity across Special Olympics programs, Brightspot partnered with Special Olympics Virginia and Special Olympics Tennessee to bring their state websites onto the Brightspot platform. Engagement begins at the state level and this work ensures that small teams balancing limited time and resources can have intuitive, easy-to-update sites that allow them to quickly share news, celebrate athlete achievements, and connect with local athletes, volunteers and communities.

These two states serve as early examples of what a unified digital presence can look like, with additional programs expected to join the platform in the future. This investment in accessibility, sustainability, and digital equity helps state teams tell their stories more effectively while remaining aligned with the global brand.

Beyond its digital contributions, Brightspot is deeply engaged with Special Olympics through hands-on volunteerism. The company has sent a dedicated team of employees to every World Games since 2013 to help run Unified Sports Experiences, support award ceremonies, and provide valuable leadership support.

In Virginia, where the company is headquartered, Brightspot hosts annual Unified Bowling and Unified Bocce events to pair employees and athletes together as teammates, volunteers at local tournaments, and participates annually in the Dulles Day Plane Pull.

Together, these efforts reflect Brightspot’s commitment to showing up for the Movement—both digitally and in person—to celebrate athletes, champion inclusion, and strengthen Special Olympics communities nationwide.

Across every project, Brightspot’s commitment is the same: to amplify athletes’ voices, expand access to opportunity, and create a digital foundation where the Special Olympics movement can continue to thrive. We are honored to support Special Olympics as the organization advances inclusion in sports, schools, health care, and communities around the world — today and for years to come.