Today I attended an event I’ve been looking forward to for a long time, the kickoff of the WIN (Welcome Inclusion) Initiative on the Redmond Microsoft Campus. For those who haven’t heard of WIN, it’s an idea that formed out of the fact that in July of 2018 the National Special Olympics will be held in Seattle. That national stage creates the opportunity for Seattle to showcase itself as a city of inclusion. And, from that opportunity came the idea for WIN. From the WIN flyer, ” The Welcome Inclusion Initiative is a public awareness and capacity building campaign that will facilitate rapid, transformative community change to promote a world of inclusion for children and adults with intellectual, behavioral, and social differences.” What that means is that local businesses (retail, restaurants, cultural organizations) will have their staff trained and receive a WIN designation. These organizations will then be the ones that people will be pointed to when they use the WIN app to find places to visit, dine or shop at. It’s a great concept and the potential for long term impact in our region is tremendous.