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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                                      CONTACT Donna Meltzer, CEO
July 9, 2020                                                                                                                                                                                     xxxxxx@nacdd.org<mailto:xxxxxx@nacdd.org>
NACDD Announces Support for National Broadcast of Hearts of Glass Documentary on Inclusive Employment

Washington, DC - The National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD) announced today that it is a sponsor of the new award-winning documentary that will begin airing on National Public Television this month, timed to coincide with the 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  The documentary, Hearts of Glass, is about an innovative Wyoming-based business making a positive impact in the community by supporting competitive employment opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) while providing high-quality, year-round produce in the small town of Jackson Hole, WY. With over 1,000 airdates on more than 200 public television stations and channels, Hearts of Glass will be available to nearly 200 million viewers nationwide starting July 14, 2020.
NACDD's financial commitment paid for closed captioning for the film. "Ensuring this documentary film is accessible to all is critically important and in-line with the mandates of the ADA whose anniversary we will celebrate in just a few weeks," said Donna Meltzer, CEO of NACDD.
The film, directed and produced by Jennifer Tennican, follows the critical first 15 months of operation of Vertical Harvest (VH), a startup hydroponic greenhouse whose staff includes workers with I/DD. The film, Hearts of Glass, weaves the story of VH's launch with the personal journeys of employees with I/DD. "For me, the truly innovative concept created by VH, depicted beautifully in this film, is that the company intentionally included people with I/DD in its business model from day one. Typically, businesses must look back and figure out how to support people with I/DD within a framework that was not originally inclusive. VH built the concept of meaningful, competitive employment into the model making this a nationally relevant story of employment possibilities for community members with disabilities," Meltzer said.
Following the success of Hearts of Glass at the Wild and Scenic Film Festival, the Ashland Independent Festival, the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival and others, the film is set to make its public television debut July 14. The NACDD, whose members offered input into the film through a series of screening opportunities, is thrilled that this film will now be seen by millions across the country. NACDD hopes the will inspire open dialogue about the importance of employment for people with I/DD, and will serve as a catalyst for change by showing businesses that a business model that is inclusive and diverse is the key to success.
Hearts of Glass will debut on hundreds of public television stations across the nation starting on Tuesday July 14. T find airdates and times, please visit aptonline.org/catalog/hearts-of-glass: enter your ZIP code to see upcoming airdates within the next two weeks. To learn more about the film and see useful materials about it, visit hearsofglassfilm.com.
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