The inaugural Easterseals Disability Arts & Culture Awards (DARCYS) ceremony is just around the corner, scheduled for October 10 at the Historic Barker Hangar in Santa Monica.
The DARCYS, formerly known as the Media Access Awards, recognizes and honors industry leaders such as filmmakers, creators and performers for their achievements in authentic disability representation and revolutionary progress in disability inclusion and narratives.
Comedian and Disability Advocate Tina Friml will be the host for the event, bringing her comedic charm and authenticity to celebrate and honor authentic disability representation amongst the nominees and awardees. The stand-up comedian, who was born with cerebral palsy, embodies the DARCYS’ mission by using comedy and personal stories to challenge views about disability.
Geri Jewell. Photo courtesy: The DARCYS.
Geri Jewell, American actress, comedian, activist and speaker will be honored with the first ever recipient of the Legacy Award, which celebrates her contributions to disability representation in the media entertainment industry.
Jewell broke down walls when cast as Cousin Geri on the NBC sitcom The Facts of Life, becoming the first person with a disability on primetime television to have a regular role. She is also the author of I’m Walking as Straight as I Can, where she received the 2012 Gold Award from Independent Publishers.
Film Independent Spirit Awards’ Executive Producers Shawn Davis and Andrew Schaff, alongside Live Digital Entertainment Executive Producer Eddie Delbridge will co-produce the ceremony.
The DARCYS will have nine competitive categories, some of which consist of Best Feature, Best Performance in a Feature, Best Documentary, Best Achievement in Casting Ensemble and many more.
There will also be a special nomination category titled the Christopher Reeve Emerging Talent Award. This award will be given to a rising actor living with paralysis and aims to support their career by bestowing a $5,000 cash grant from the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.
Many fan favorites will be honorees, such as hit shows The Pitt (2025) and Love on the Spectrum (2022). Content creators will be celebrated as well, such as Molly Burke, Cassidy Huff and the Squeaky Wheel.
Some of the actors and actresses nominated include Liz Carr from Good Omens (2019), Autumn Best from BRB (2026) and Daniel Monks from All Her Fault (2025). The link to the full list of nominees and nominations can be accessed here.
“As we launch the DARCYS, we are thrilled to honor the extraordinary talent helping to reshape the way disability is seen and understood, and proud to have Tina Friml bring her unique voice, humor and perspective to this celebration of authentic representation,” Mark Whitley, President & CEO of Easterseals Southern California said in a press release. “From the nominees who are telling powerful, authentic stories, to Geri Jewell, whose groundbreaking career opened doors for generations to come, this year’s honorees embody the progress we want to see across entertainment and popular culture.”
The inaugural ceremony will be broadcast on PBS SoCal, and viewers can watch rebroadcasts on PBS stations nationwide.
Ashley Choi is a reporter with The SBU Media Group, part of Stony Brook University’s School of Communication and Journalism’s Working Newsroom program for students and local media.