United Airlines is expanding the industry’s only Special Olympics Service Ambassadors (SOSA) program to the airline’s hubs in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Newark in late July. The goal is to welcome 10 more people into the program and reach a total of 28 SOSA employees across all seven of United’s U.S. hubs, furthering its effort to create employment opportunities for people with physical and intellectual disabilities.
United’s Special Olympics Service Ambassadors program gives Special Olympics athletes the opportunity to earn part-time employment with full employee benefits. United SOSAs welcome customers in the airport lobby and help them find check-in kiosks, bag check locations, and security lines. Post-security responsibilities include navigating the terminal and using digital customer service tools.
“Our Special Olympics Service Ambassadors deliver a daily dose of inspiration and an extra set of helping hands to our employees while also providing friendly, timely service to our customers,” says United Chief Operations Officer and Special Olympics board member Toby Enqvist in a prepared statement. “I’m so proud of our SOSA team and look forward to growing at three more of our hubs—they not only enhance the customer experience in a uniquely United way, but also help to foster inclusive, dynamic, and engaging workplaces for all.”
Zehra Sayin, chief communications, development and marketing officer of Special Olympics, says, “The continued expansion of United’s Special Olympics Service Ambassadors program is a powerful example of what true inclusion looks like in action. By creating meaningful, visible roles for our athletes, United is not only enhancing the travel experience for its customers but also helping to shift perceptions about the capabilities of people with intellectual disabilities. We are proud to partner with United as they lead the way in showing how diversity and inclusion can strengthen workplaces, communities, and lives.”
United launched the Special Olympics Service Ambassadors program in Chicago during National Disability Employment Awareness Month in 2019 and quickly expanded to its hubs in Houston, Denver, and Washington, D.C. Since its inception, the Special Olympics Service Ambassadors program has given Special Olympics athletes the opportunity to gain firsthand experience working as part-time employees for United Airlines.
“As an athlete, I lean on skills like teamwork and communication to excel in my sport and being able to share those experiences and skills with United customers is really fulfilling,” says Lauren Miller, a current United Special Olympics Service Ambassadors program team member in Chicago. “It’s exciting to know that more people are going to be able to experience this great program for themselves and get the chance to impact passengers on a daily basis.”
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