I have faced countless barriers in my career that I have worked to overcome, less so because of my disability and more so because of attitudes towards disability. The music and entertainment industry was not the most accessible place for a legally blind woman of color, and there just weren’t many folks who liked me or had my story on TV or the radio growing up.

I did everything I could to hide my disability for fear I would appear non-competitive. However, when I finally ‘came out’ about being blind, it opened up so many doors I didn’t expect, but more importantly, it opened up a deep visionary in me I hadn’t tapped into before. Today, we now work with top brands without fear, travel the globe unafraid to ensure I am accommodated, and create from a place of strength.

The music and entertainment industry was not the most accessible place for a legally blind woman of color, and there just weren’t many folks who liked me or had my story on TV or the radio growing up.

As I became more open, finding my authenticity and celebrating my identities while navigating the industry, I began connecting with other artists with disabilities, neurodivergence and other conditions, and I found that we faced common stigmas and barriers within the industry. And when we googled “Music” and “Disability”, nothing substantive came up. So I started my organization RAMPD (Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities) to be the thing that came up to show the music industry that we are not only valuable, competitive and successful but that everyone, potentially you reading this, intersects with disability in your life in some way.

Lachi

Today, RAMPD connects the music and live entertainment industries to disability-inclusive tools, programming, and a fast-growing global directory of established music professionals with disabilities and neurodivergence. RAMPD has since worked with the GRAMMYs, Netflix, TIDAL and others to amplify Disability Culture and inclusion in the industry.

When it comes to having a disability, I have learned that the problem is not the condition, it’s the conditioning. Being blind is only a problem when society tells me I can’t do certain things, don’t have access to certain spaces, or treats me as any less competitive, driven and creative than my colleagues. Disability is a natural part of life that affects everyone in some way, and mine has been a pivotal reason for my success.

I’ve had to be a Disruptor my entire life to get from point A to point B. Existing openly and proudly with all of my identities in and of itself is disrupting what society would expect of me.

I am really proud of my work as a Recording Academy NY Chapter Governor. In this position, I’ve helped make the Grammys more accessible and disability-inclusive. In 2022 and 2023, RAMPD and the Recording Academy teamed up to bring ASL, ramps and other access measures to the red carpet and award ceremony for the first time. In 2024, RAMPD executives were invited to walk the official red carpet and bring glammed-out Disability Culture, wheels, canes and prosthetics all front and centre to one of pop culture’s biggest nights.

What makes me a Disruptor? Picture a tall, Black, blind, queer, neurodivergent woman with a blinged-out glam cane and a wide smile of joy, that’s straight-up disruption. But that’s also just Lachi.

I’ve had to be a Disruptor my entire life to get from point A to point B. Existing openly and proudly with all of my identities in and of itself is disrupting what society would expect of me. And now I am blessed with the opportunity, through RAMPD, through my music, through our keynotes and appearances, to continue to disseminate that disruption in the most beautiful, unapologetic way.

Lachi is a globally touring singer and songwriter, award-winning social entrepreneur, GRAMMYs Chapter Board Governor, and host of PBS’ American Masters series ‘Renegades’.

Born legally blind, Lachi uses her platform in music, storytelling and fashion to amplify identity pride and Disability Culture. Her U.N.-recognized organization RAMPD (Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities) has collaborated on disability-inclusive solutions with the GRAMMYs, Netflix, Tidal, SONY Pictures Entertainment and more.

Her recent song, Life Me Up, in homage to Judy Heumann, peaked at #29 on U.S. Adult Contemporary radio, with airplay on MTV.com and BETSoul. Named a USA Today Woman of the Year, a “new champion in advocacy” by Billboard, and "a foot soldier for Disability Pride'' by Forbes, her cultural activism has landed her spots on national ads and TEDx stages, discussions with the White House, BBC, Good Morning America and the New York Times, and her bejewelled glam canes have popped up everywhere from New York Fashion Week to major LA movie premieres.