Date:Â September 21, 2020
To:Â SOAZ athletes, volunteers, families, and friends
From:Â Jamie Heckerman, CEO
Subject:Â SOAZ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Assessment Survey
As pillars that uphold and operationalize SOAZ’s values and mission, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are extremely important in the work that we do. SOAZ is excited to be partnering with a local DEI firm, Diamond Strategies, LLC, to develop & launch a formal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) strategy over the next several months. One of the major outcomes of this work will be the establishment of a DEI committee, comprised of varying members of the SOAZ family – athletes, Unified partners, coaches, parents, volunteers, and SOAZ staff. We know that engaging varied persons, perspectives, and voices in this work will help generate better ideas to solve the complex problems of a changing—and increasingly diverse—world, particularly for those with disabilities and others who are underrepresented and underserved based upon their race, class, gender, faith, identity, and sexual orientation.
To support the DEI committee in establishing the vision for this initiative during their first workshop on October 3rd, SOAZ is launching a DEI Assessment survey to measure the degree to which our culture creates an inclusive environment where people of all backgrounds can thrive. SOAZ is conducting this assessment to help identify our strengths & areas in need of growth pertaining to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion by surveying our staff & constituents (athletes, Unified partners, coaches, volunteers, parents/guardians, etc.) statewide. We will be analyzing the results from these surveys across a wide spectrum of demographics, such as gender, race/ethnicity, physical ability, sexual orientation, veteran status, socioeconomic status, etc.
 Please support SOAZ explore this new work by completing the following DEI Assessment Survey to help us to identify our strengths & areas in need of growth pertaining to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The assessment is centered around researched constructs of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion such as fairness, belonging, and voice. This survey also asks important, though sensitive, demographics like gender identity, race/ethnicity, and sexual orientation. It only takes about 5 minutes to complete.
- To complete the survey, please CLICK HERE. The survey closes on Monday, September 28th at 11:45PM
o  After you complete the survey, we ask that you help us spread the word & gain more insight from our community by forwarding this information to your SOAZ friends & contacts.  Â
Your responses will be collected anonymously, so please be honest! This process will allow us to use data in our strategic planning and decision-making processes, and the results of this assessment will help us frame our DEI strategy moving forward. With a high participation rate, we can confidently take actions that focus on ensuring Special Olympics Arizona’s operational strategy is more diverse & equitable for all.
Thank you for your support. SOAZ looks forward to working with the DEI Committee to build a strategy to ensure the highest standards of diversity, equity, and inclusion exist within our programs & the communities we serve. If you have any questions or would like more information, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Jamie Heckerman
President & CEO
Special Olympics Arizona
2455 N. Citrus Rd. Bldg. 64
Goodyear, AZ 85395
Jamie@SpecialOlympicsArizona.org | www.SpecialOlympicsArizona.org
Office: 602.230.9135Â |Â Cell: 602.501.4057 | Fax: 602.230.1110