Easterseals Rebrands Media Access Awards as Darcys
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- Easterseals rebranded the long‑standing Media Access Awards as the Easterseals Disability Arts & Culture Awards (the Darcys), unveiling a modern identity and expanded mission.
- Film Independent will co‑produce the Darcys, while a newly formed Disability Advisory Committee, led by Emily Ladau and Nicole Lynn Evans, will guide the awards’ direction.
- The Darcys require substantive disability inclusion and mandatory accessibility features—captioning and audio description—in all submissions, and will honor work across ten categories including Best Feature, Best Documentary, and the Christopher Reeve Emerging Talent Award.
- The inaugural ceremony is scheduled for Oct. 10 at the Historic Barker Hangar in Santa Monica and will be streamed live on YouTube and PBS SoCal, with later rebroadcasts on local PBS stations.
- Submissions open June 16 and close July 14, inviting creators worldwide to compete for the new Darcys honors.
Why it matters: Disability creators gain a high‑profile platform and industry standards get a new benchmark for inclusive content, as the Darcys will be broadcast worldwide on Oct. 10, pressuring studios to embed captioning and audio description.
