The Adam Heavner award is the Autism Society of America’s top business award and is granted annually to an organization dedicated to inclusion and support for the autism community. In 2020, Options For All was proud to receive this award due to the hard work and dedication of our Film and Media team.
In 2017, we launched our first Film and Media Program in San Diego. This specialized vocational program teaches the various facets of film production and multimedia development through classroom instruction and hands-on training. The talents of our graduated participants led to many opportunities, including providing video production and visual storytelling to our community.
In 2018 we had enough demand for production services that we began to employ adults with I/DD interested in media. Today, we have Studios in the Silicon Valley and Greater San Diego area and have six graduates from our Film and Media Program on our team, jump-starting their careers.
For National Disability Awareness Month, the team produced a video commissioned by the Autism Society of America, bringing awareness to autism and those on the spectrum. Through hard work, diligence, and thorough representation of those on the autism spectrum, the film team was able to spark the judges’ interest and earn the prestigious award as an asset to the credibility of Options For All as an inclusive organization.
“Options For All did a phenomenal job, and it was a great experience. When discerning to find a film crew to do the Autism Awareness Month video, we knew what kind of quality we wanted and chose who could do the best job for us.”
Christopher Banks, President and CEO of the Autism Society of America
Past recipients of this award have been Chase Bank and Royal Caribbean CruiseLine. This recognition has not only represented those we serve but has brought credibility to the I/DD community with such a prestigious award. Our team brings the voices often excluded in the media industry to create exceptional projects and a broader reach to our audiences with equity, inclusion, accessibility, and originality. Our mission to create and support opportunities for adults with I/DD in making choices to live, work, and enjoy life in their community with dignity and respect, makes this award even more special.