A conversation about disability pride, unmasking, music, belonging and finding power in the parts of ourselves society has taught us to minimize.

What happens when a musician stops trying to fit into an industry and starts changing the culture instead?

This week on Pushing Forward with Alycia, Alycia Anderson welcomes award-winning recording artist, author, media personality and disability culture leader Lachi for a joyful, candid and wildly entertaining conversation about music, disability pride, representation, identity and liberation.

Lachi is the founder of RAMPD, a UN-recognized organization advancing disability inclusion across the music industry, author of I Identify as Blind, host of PBS Renegades and creator of Glam Canes. Her work uses music, fashion, humor, storytelling and pop culture to challenge the way disability has traditionally been represented.

But Lachi’s path into disability advocacy began with something deeply personal.

Growing up with low vision, she often avoided using the cane and glasses she needed because she feared being treated differently or losing opportunities in the music industry. When her vision changed dramatically, something unexpected happened: instead of making her life smaller, it pushed her to start living bigger.

Lachi began checking experiences off her bucket list, pursuing music more intentionally and eventually embracing the disability identity she had once tried to hide.

And something else changed.

Once she started asking for the access she needed, she discovered that accommodations did not make her less competitive. They helped her perform better.

That realization became part of a much larger mission.

Today, Lachi is helping bring disability culture into music, fashion, entertainment and mainstream pop culture while opening doors for other disabled creators along the way.

Alycia and Lachi talk about everything from sparkling mobility devices and disability fashion to performing with legendary musicians, meeting Stevie Wonder and unexpectedly jamming with Wynton Marsalis and the White House band.

They also dive into Lachi’s new children’s music album, Magnificent, a collaborative project featuring dozens of artists and disability community members. The album celebrates different ways of moving, thinking and communicating without watering down disability language or infantilizing young listeners.

At the center of the conversation is a message that applies far beyond disability:

The parts of ourselves we are taught to hide can become some of our greatest sources of creativity, connection and power.

Lachi reminds listeners that disability culture is not simply about overcoming barriers. It is art. Music. Perspective. Adaptation. Innovation. Community. Pride.

And it deserves a much bigger stage.

In Lachi’s Words

Stop hiding it. Start celebrating it.

~ Lachi

EPISODE THEMES

🎧 Episode 158: Chapters

Connect with Lachi

Lachi is an award-winning recording artist, author, media personality, and disability culture leader using music, fashion, storytelling, and advocacy to reshape how disability is represented. She is also the founder of RAMPD, a U.N.-recognized organization advancing disability inclusion across the music industry.

Connect with Alycia:
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Stay tuned for more inspiring conversations on Pushing Forward with Alycia. Open hearts, clear paths. Let’s go.

About Pushing Forward with Alycia

Pushing Forward with Alycia gives disability a voice through conversations about accessibility, inclusion, ambition, resilience, leadership, advocacy, and creating a more inclusive world for all people.

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