Lenovo is supporting the advancement of the Integrated Dreams mission through the Football for All Leadership Programme, the first international programme specifically designed to promote employability, entrepreneurship and networking of people with disabilities in the sports world.
Inclusion is a core value at Lenovo – across our culture, products, and the way we do business. But after announcing that Lenovo would be the Global Technology Partner of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a new opportunity to use sport as a catalyst for inclusion arose.
As the most popular sport on the planet, Football is also a proven global democratizer. It brings communities together, teaches important life skills, and can connect people with transformative opportunities. Jose Soares, founder of Integrated Dreams, recognized this when he started Integrated Dreams to empower the inclusion of people with disabilities through sport and education.
Today, Lenovo is supporting the advancement of the Integrated Dreams mission through the Football for All Leadership Programme, the first international programme specifically designed to promote employability, entrepreneurship and networking of people with disabilities in the sports world. By funding the development of the Football for All technology programme, Lenovo is empowering people with disabilities to create a lasting positive impact for the community. But as accessibility experts know – you can’t just develop an app, share it with a community of users with disabilities, and assume it will work. That’s why Lenovo’s Head of Corporate Citizenship, Santiago Mendez, traveled to Morrocco to complete user testing as part of the 2026 Football For All Leadership Program (FFALP), made possible by a grant from FIFA Foundation and the World Football Remission Fund.
Leveraging the best practices of Lenovo’s Inclusive Product Design Office, Mendez, Morrocco-based Lenovo employees, and Integrated Dreams staff led FFALP participants through guided testing to ensure the new platform truly met the community’s needs. Tested on Lenovo’s tablets and notebooks (based on participant needs), initial testing reviews were promising, and Mendez looks forward to the further expansion and use of the platform.
“It was wonderful to watch the users experience the app and determine how they could use it to meet their individual needs and entrepreneurial education,” shared Mendez. “But it wasn’t all testing – the participants were there because they also love football. Having fun on a pitch together at the end of the day truly highlighted the power of football as a catalyst for inclusion. Through our values of inclusion and innovation, Lenovo is uniquely positioned to make a lasting impact with Integrated Dreams and watch our smarter technology for all vision come to life!”
“Lenovo has been working with us to develop the platform for over a year. They understand the potential of technology to connect and educate our community, and we’re excited about the resource they’ve helped us develop,” shared Jose Soares, Integrated Dreams Founder and Chief Association Executive.
Moving ahead, Integrated Dreams will continue to refine the platform as it is shared with communities worldwide. The team is looking forward to the entrepreneurial outcomes, connections, and community that the platform will build – another notable example of technology that’s powered by humanity, changing our greatest challenges into our greatest breakthroughs.
