I want to thank you for all the hard work you put in to make this workshop happen. As you know my son Brian is a forty year old Autistic. He has attended three phases and he loves every minute he spends at Inclusion. This program has given him self esteem and self worth. Inclusion has made him feel he has value. Brian has always had a job. He has worked in the grocery business for nineteen years but he never felt valued there. Brian has a typical autistic brain. Repetition and structure work well for him. He rarely gets things the first time around. Your patience has been saintly. He has no real sense of time, but let me tell you, he will get up extra early to make sure he is not late for class. Film making has become his passion. He has never had such a desire to learn. He is also different at home as well. He is so much better at embracing his responsibilities. I guess what I’m trying to say is that he has grown so much from this program. Thank you!

Our son Carson has spent many month in the workshop at Inclusion Films. It was a most rewarding experience for him. He learned to pay attention, cooperate with film crew and other students, was proud to be one of the guys. He felt fulfilled. Those months were a happy challenge, one he would gladly renew anytime. To see him interact and be recognized by the film crew and peers, to see him greet his crew and friends in such a grown up manner at the premier of “Spud” was such a joyful event for us. We salute Inclusion Films for their effort, giving our special adults opportunities to grow and excel. Sincerely

My son, Kevin, was in the pilot program of Inclusion Films and attended the two subsequent sessions. He loves acting, as well as writing and shooting his own videos. Through this program, he was able to live his dream of having a place where he could learn more about the industry and work with other students and professionals on a variety of film-making experiences. He was very proud of his suggestion that Inclusion Films offer what he called “senior moments,” a service to families to professionally videotape and capture the musings and remembrances of their senior citizens for future generations. Kevin is an ever-loyal alumnus of Inclusion Films. He takes great pride in the growth of the program and the special friendships he still shares with former students and staff. Thank you again for all your courtesies.

My name is Michael and my son Scott is a student at Inclusion Films. Joey Travolta and his staff are dedicated to training people with disabilities for entry-level positions into the entertainment industry. However, that is only scratching the surface as to what is really accomplished in the Inclusion Films Workshop.

While students are being trained in the logistics of filmmaking, they are more importantly being trained in the transitional process of the real world. Students are trained in social skills and real world situations in a safe environment. Students are trained in the concept of inclusion.

Inclusion is not just being put into a situation. Inclusion is the act of making all those that participate feel that they belong. Self-advocacy training at the Inclusion Films Workshop results in life long skills that are so important.

Joey and his staff are not only interested in training, they are also committed in actual job placement that is evident through their partnership with Easter Seals Disability Services and local studios in the placement program for Inclusion graduates.

In the case of my son, Scott, Joey really has gone the extra mile. Scott is a talented musician and Joey has supported that talent by producing an amazing music video and has promoted that video throughout the disability and mainstream community that has resulted in numerous opportunities for Scott and his band. We will always be grateful to Joey and everyone at Inclusion for the difference that they have made in Scott’s life.