Dominick Evans

Early life

Dominick Evans was born in Toledo, Ohio. Their father, David Ławniczak, was Polish-American and deaf; their mother, Pam Ryan, is Irish-American. Evans grew up in Walbridge, Ohio with an older brother and two half brothers from their father’s first marriage, who did not live with them. Their father died of heart failure in 2001.

Evans had a difficult relationship with their parents, especially their mother, which grew worse after they came out at 16. Their grandparents, Willis “Willie” and Melba “Noonie” Ryan, helped raise Evans and their brother. Noonie, a former radio singer in Toledo, taught Evans to sing. As a child, Evans acted and sang, and was a poster child for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, though they now criticize the organization for harming disabled people.

They graduated with honors from Lake High School in Millbury, Ohio in 1999. Evans started college at Bowling Green State University while still in high school, then moved to Wright State University in 2000 but left after an injury. They returned to Wright State in 2010, earning a BFA in Motion Pictures Production. From 2009 to 2010, they also studied theatre at a University of Michigan satellite school.

Evans was bullied heavily in school. In 2018, they were featured in the book “American Hate: Survivors Speak Out” for an incident where classmates tortured them during a senior prank when Evans was a sophomore, and for their fear of being outed in their neighborhood.

Career

Dominick Evans made their directorial debut with the 2013 film trip, which later earned an Indie Fest Award of Recognition in 2015. They have also contributed to the short film Nance + Sydney and, as of 2026, are working on developing television projects. Evans’s films typically center on marginalized people, and they hire diverse crews made up largely of minority filmmakers. Since 2019, they have served as an independent consultant for major Hollywood studios including PBS Kids, Ubisoft, Lionsgate, and Netflix.

They also stream video games and web shows on Twitch. In 2021, Evans directed the music video for James Ian’s song “Spaces” from their bed, where they were confined by chronic pain, proving that disabled directors can work from any location. Their next ambition is to create a television show they can direct from their home in Michigan.

Activism

Evans has been a disability advocate since childhood, fighting for better representation of transgender people and disability in media, as well as marriage equality for both LGBTQ and disabled communities. In June 2014, they were invited to the White House’s first forum on disability and LGBTQ issues. While in college, they studied how disability is portrayed in film and television and were troubled by the lack of inclusion for disabled actors and filmmakers.

They now speak regularly on this topic, including at Lights, Camera, Access! 2.0 at New York University and John Jay College in July 2015.

In November 2016, they used the video robot ALF to mentor disabled media students from across the country at the White House. Evans previously worked as a media and entertainment advocate at the Center for Disability Rights in New York. In 2016, they joined protests against the film Me Before You, which features a disabled man traveling to Switzerland for assisted suicide.

They are a prominent voice in the fight for marriage equality for people with disabilities and have collaborated with LGBTQ marriage equality activists in Ohio to explore how the two issues intersect.

Personal life

Dominick Evans, a non-binary and transgender queer person who uses they/them or he/him pronouns, calls the Detroit suburbs home. Since 2002, their main collaborator has been Ashtyn Law. Diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy at four, Evans has relied on a wheelchair since 1997. They also live with asthma, chronic pain, ADD, OCD, PTSD, and hearing loss.

Did You Know?

• They directed the music video for James Ian's 'Spaces' from their bed due to chronic pain, proving disabled directors can work from any location.
• They were named one of eight 'LGBT influencers you need to know in New York City' by Time Out in summer 2016.