She has been the recipient of many awards, including the 1992 Founders Award, the 2005 Independent Living Legacy Award, and a National Rehabilitation Hospital Victory Award (in 2006).
Originally from Buffalo, New York, she is most famous for her role of Geri Tyler on the television program The Facts of Life from 1980 to 1984. This role made her the first person with a visible disability to have a regular role on a prime time series, as well as the first actor with cerebral palsy to be featured on a TV series. After she dropped out of college, Jewell's began her career doing stand up comedy at The Comedy Store in 1978. In 1980, she performed at the 2nd Annual Media Access Awards, when she was introduced to Norman Lear by Producer, Fern Field.
Jewell's original autobiography, Geri, published in 1984, talked about her personal and professional life.
She has been the recipient of many awards, including the 1992 Founders Award, the 2005 Independent Living Legacy Award, and a National Rehabilitation Hospital Victory Award (in 2006).
Jewell appeared as the recurring character Jewel on the HBO original series Deadwood from 2004—2006.
Her autobiography I'm Walking as Straight as I Can was published in 2011 by ECW Press. The title refers to the facts that she has cerebral palsy and is a lesbian.
