CALL THE ADA
Mini Series
Project Type: Mini Series
Project Status: Development
Creator/Writer/Producer: David Radcliff
Director and Producer: Nicholas Paul Ybarra
Producer and Lead Actor: Angel Giuffria
Producer: Sonja Mereu
Lead Actor: Gerald Isaac Waters
LOGLINE
It’s a crime-stopping television procedural unlike anything you’ve seen before! In this comedic web series from an Emmy-nominated (and disabled) writer of THE ROOKIE, two federal agents — one a wheelchair user and the other with an upper limb difference — enforce laws for the disability community and tackle all manner of mysteries and social discomforts in the process.
SYNOPSIS
As they protect and defend the rights and lives of people with disabilities, A.D.A. agents Badgely and Dawson regularly face down dangerous criminals and governmental bureaucracy alike.
Here’s just a taste of their adventures:
1x01 - "Pilot"
To traditional law enforcement, a bloody crime scene looks like an open-and-shut case of assault. But A.D.A. agents Badgely and Dawson recognize this death as a byproduct of accessibility standards gone ignored.
(This episode toured the country with Slamdance Unstoppable On the Road, screened at the Heartland Film Festival and the HollyShorts Film Festival and won the Best Writing prize at the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge)
1x02 - "The Whale"
As Badgely fixates on catching a criminal who routinely slips her grasp, Dawson worries his own inability to walk, paired with inaccessible venues, may be a liability to their case.
1x03 – “Limb Different”
After an unexpected injury while confronting a violent criminal, Badgely finds herself under the watch of her well-meaning but overprotective father — who still can’t help but see her as his “special needs” kid.
In addition to our full-length episodes, we’re producing fun, brief ‘mini-sodes,’ through which our heroes will address and explain real-world topics relevant to the disability community. These engaging, educational shorts are perfect for classrooms, speaking engagements, and social media campaigns.
But first — we need your help.
THE BIG IDEA
In real life, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has no federal agency, no special department, no kick-ass heroes to enforce it.
But what if it did?
Mixing a splash of BROOKLYN NINE-NINE with a bit of LAW & ORDER, CALL THE ADA imagines an exciting new reality — one that puts talented disabled people right where television so rarely finds them: in the center of the action.
The adventures of ADA agents Badgely and Dawson offer up all the body drops, chases, sudden twists, and moments of pathos you'd expect from your favorite procedural.
Plus, they're told through a fresh, funny, and informative lens television has long been too timid to touch.
In fact, for more than 15 years, the number of disabled characters on screen hasn’t broken above 2%. And most of those characters aren’t played by actors with disabilities.
Today, our only ‘gatekeeper’ is you.
Angel Giuffria as
AGENT REBECCA BADGELY
Even as a seasoned federal agent, Badgely has yet to secure the respect she so clearly deserves. She’s a brilliant workaholic, sure — but never one to seek the spotlight for herself. Even at risk to her career, though, she has little reservation about speaking out against ‘the system’. And yet, something keeps Badgely linked to this ADA enforcement life. While tough-as-nails on the outside, she harbors an unassailable soft spot for those who have been trampled by an unjust world — and, even at her most cynical, she never stops trying to make everything a bit better, wherever she can.
Gerald Waters as
AGENT COOPER DAWSON
Though disability entered his life only a few years before our story begins, Agent Dawson seems born for the ADA cause. He’s eager and hopeful, obviously enamored with Agent Badgely, and always up for a challenge. To Dawson, nothing’s better than taking down bad guys and basking in the hard-won results— just like those TV heroes he grew up watching! At the same time, Dawson is still learning what life as a disabled person can really be like in America — and his optimism sometimes collides with a complex, private recognition that his body has forever changed. Before his injury, he seemed to have the world at his feet. Now, well, his feet aren’t exactly his best asset.
Meet The Filmmakers
Creator/Writer/Producer
Born with cerebral palsy, David co-chairs the Disabled Writers Committee at the Writers Guild of America, West, advancing the interests of professional writers who have a wide range of disabilities.
His writing credits include hit shows The Rookie, Tracker, Pupstruction, and Waffles+Mochi, for which he was nominated for a Children and Family Emmy Award. His work has also received top honors at the Austin Film Festival and was selected for the prestigious Disney Writing Program.
David is proud to have consulted on several projects that blend entertainment and education, including the Oscar-nominated documentary Crip Camp and the Emmy-winning Ada Twist, Scientist.
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Nicolas Paul Ybarra
Director/Producer
Nicholas is an award-winning filmmaker committed to amplifying underrepresented stories.
With over a decade of experience as a First Assistant Director, he has honed his skills on a range of projects for studios including Disney, Warner Bros., and Sony, as well as in collaborations with actors including Margot Robbie, Melissa Barrera, and Jack Black.
In 2024, Nicholas’s feature screenplay, Other, won the prestigious WeScreenplay Feature Lab award. A passionate cinefile, he also channels his love for cinema into his podcast, Gimme Three, where, in thematic episodes, he gushes over the films he loves.
Nicholas’s role as Program Director for the Los Angeles Diversity Film Festival further highlights his commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion in the industry.
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Angel Giuffria
Lead Actor/Producer
Angel holds a master’s degree in psychology and an acting resume that has found her in series including Twisted Metal, FBI: Most Wanted, Chicago Med, Good Trouble, 911: Lonestar, and numerous national commercials
Born missing her left arm below the elbow, Angel remains the youngest person ever to have been fit with a myoelectric prosthesis and continues to wear state-of-the-art prosthetic technology.
When she’s not on screen, Angel advances opportunities for members of the limb-different community as a volunteer for the Lucky Fin Project, The Amputee Coalition, and the SAG-AFTRA Performers with Disabilities Committee. She has also consulted on prosthetic technology and limb difference for a variety of storytelling platforms and projects, including Little America, Jurassic World: Chaos Theory, and Dungeons & Dragons.
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Sonja Mereu
Producer
Sonja has produced several feature films, short films, commercials, and music videos, and has served as line producer and unit production manager on numerous productions.
Notable projects include Justin Timberlake and Chris Stapleton's "Say Something" music video; the feature film All the World Is Sleeping, starring Melissa Barrera and Jorge Garcia; and a nationally televised ad campaign for Pepsi, starring Megan Thee Stallion, Travis Kelce, Josh Allen, Darrick Henry, and Justin Jefferson.
Sonja is a member of the Producers Guild of America (PGA) and is Director of the Los Angeles Diversity Film Festival (LADFF). She currently works as a producer for Paramount's Brand Studio. Prior to becoming a producer, she specialized in teaching math and life skills to high school students with learning disabilities.
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Gerald Isaac Waters
Lead Actor
Trained at the Acting Conservatory at Los Angeles Community College, Gerald has credits that span film, television, and theatre. He has appeared in the series Angie Tribeca, on TBS, in Netflix’s heartwarming film All Together Now, and in the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Cost of Living in Seattle.
Gerald’s voiceover work has been featured in Nickelodeon’s Blaze’s Amazing Race and in Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. He has also modeled for brands including Zappos Adaptive and Tommy Hilfiger and has rolled the runway during New York Fashion Week.
Your Help
CALL THE ADA is a fiscally sponsored project of Cinematography for Actors, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Your donation will be tax-deductible!