Promoting inclusivity in sports
with Special Olympics Canada
What we did
- Print design
- Illustration
- Digital media
- Print design
- Illustration
- Digital media
What they needed
For people with disabilities, the benefits of Special Olympics Canada (SOC) stretch well beyond sports. It offers a social network, a family, and a source of emotional stability for more than 41,000 athletes across Canada. So when SOC was looking for a design partner, they were looking for more than just design. They wanted a team whose values aligned with their own.










How we help
At Design de Plume, we look at all projects through our four lenses of culture, gender, accessibility, and learning. For SOC, we paid special attention to designing for equity, diversity, and inclusion. This meant painting a more diverse picture of what success looks like across sports, from the athletes to those in authority. The SOC were so impressed with our work that they tapped us in as one of their permanent lead design agencies.
Leading the way
Our work here has spread beyond Canada, too. Internationally, other Special Olympics organizations asked the Canadian division if they could adapt the materials for their own teams. Some of our SOC projects are also used as an EDI case study to showcase how diverse characters can make a world of difference in representation.


Encouraging allies
SOC wants to encourage everyone to be an ally in equity, diversity, and inclusion. Internally, they worked with Vital Shift Consulting to create training for their own coaches, athletes, and volunteers. And we were happy to collaborate on the design. Drawing inspiration from people with down syndrome, our character illustrations use softer facial features and body shapes. We also showcased a spectrum of gender expressions and pride symbols.








“I am constantly amazed at how Design de Plume is able to get all this information into something that looks so good!! I am really excited to being able to start sharing this as I know it is going to be valued and continue to move the needle for Diversity and Inclusion within Special Olympics. The whole team at Design de Plume is fantastic to work with and I will continue to recommend you to my colleagues.”
– Tom Davies, Director, Athlete and Coach Development, Special Olympics Canada
Activities and Safety Guides
To encourage children to try physical activities, we created a series of Try-It-Day cards and posters. With a focus on child-like drawings and primary colours, this resource helps educate caregivers on how children can safely try these activities themselves at home.





