The Media Access Awards with Easterseals, an EMMY-winning television show, hosted by Ali Stroker taped their annual ceremony. The awards honors artists, storytellers and projects that champion disability inclusion in front of and behind the camera. This year’s show continued the tradition of being the only fully accessible awards ceremony in history, and featured inspiring moments from stars including Marlee Matlin, Marissa Bode, Anita Hollander, Nyle DiMarco, Jay and Pamela Manuel, Paul Schnee, Kerry Barden and more.

The 2025 Media Access Awards with Easterseals will premiere on Wednesday, November 5 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus (formerly KCET) and Friday, November 7 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal, followed by additional PBS stations nationwide starting Saturday, November 15 (check local listings). The show will be available to stream on the PBS App concurrently with the premiere.

Honorees are selected by the diversity committees of their professional guilds, with awards presented by the Casting Society (CSA), the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA.

The evening will also feature special performances by b-boy Luca “Lazylegs” Patuelli, Paris Paralympics Performer and America’s Got Talent finalist Brian King Joseph, and Rick Allen (Def Leppard) & Lauren Monroe, along with surprise appearances throughout the show.

TVMusic Network was on hand at the awards and spoke with actor John Maucere. Read below what he had to say as interpreter by Alex Lev.

How important is it to be at the Media Access Awards?

John: The actors who are here and everyone who is here, I mean the point is simply to show our work and to get our work recognized by everyone and this is the place where we can do that we can be recognized for what we do. Of course this could always lead to more work for all of us. That’s the goal and why we’re here. People see us here, they say they understand us, so we want to say thanks to the Media Access Awards for everything they’ve done for everyone who’s been here. For everyone who works here
and everyone who is winning the awards are here. Getting here and people can see us here and see what we can do in other projects and other places.

Anything you are working on that you can talk about?

John: Right now, I’m a stand up comedian who travels the world with my comedy. I did a film that was produced by Troy Kotsur that is going to be coming out pretty soon. Not too long ago, I was in a movie called What? right now and a few other things.

Right now, I am also an interpreter, a deaf interpreter.

For more information on John: https://thejmshow.com

For more information: https://mediaaccessawards.com