Tag: disability inclusion advocate

Lachi | Award Winning Creator

Lachi | Award Winning Creator

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Editor’s Note

She’s a bold, confident, talented musical artist, and incredible disability inclusion advocate. I met Lachi last year through a friend of mine and I’ve been in awe of her extraordinary work ever since. She is unapologetically outspoken on issues affecting the disability community and people are listening.

When I heard her speak to the White House Office of Public Engagement for White Cane Day I was blown away. What really appealed to me was how well she broke down pity vs. inspiration. To catch the video you can check it out on her Instagram feed dated October 15, 2021. If you care about social justice issues where disabilities are concerned you will not be disappointed. Lachi knew the assignment.

The other great news is Lachi agreed to be in our photo repository. So you’ll see photos of her throughout the site as well as our social media platforms. We’ve reached out to several people within the community to ask them to participate in an effort to promote authentic disability representation.

Below Lachi’s YouTube video is the transcript for those who prefer to read. Enjoy! ~Steph

Disability culture encompasses the art that comes from the different bodies that we come in. The art that comes from the oppression that we face, the art that comes from the discrimination that we face from the ignorance of seeing disability as just a medical situation.

~Lachi

Beyond Sight Magazine Cover

YouTube Video

Introducing Lachi

Hey everyone, it is Lachi she/her, black girl, cornrows, coming to you from the land of the Lenape people here in Manhattan, New York City, and I’m really excited to be spending Black History Month with you. So this shirt I’m wearing is by a company called Twin and there is braille right on the chest of the shirt that says T-W-I-N.

Artist & Disability Inclusion Advocate

Denim Jacket

I was born blind. I am a recording artist. I am a songwriter and actress. Being blessed to have been recognized for my art to be able to travel the world for my art to have worked with some really cool household names. On my journey to becoming a household name, I’m a disability inclusion advocate.

A lot of the things that I advocate for are not just recognizing disability as it pertains to the music industry. Although that is my forte being that I am the founder and president of RAMPD (Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities), I also really like to showcase that being blind is dope, sexy and fun.

Several ways that I really showcase how dope it is to be blind. Just like people pick out different frames for their glasses, I pick out different canes for my outfits. I got this red cane here, which is be dazzled with red glitter. I’ve got my Galaxy cane here, this cute little blue cane right here and this glam cane here is glittered gold. This cane has seen many red carpets and has had many accomplishments. She does have an Instagram post that talks about how you can make your own glam cane or go to can get you one at glamcanes.com it is worth it.

Acquiring Confidence As A Black Blind Woman

Zebra Print Dress

Coming up as a blind woman, I think one of the struggles that I had was accepting myself as a strong woman. Accepting myself as a black human being as a black woman, which is different than just accepting yourself as a woman. I also had trouble just being able to advocate for myself and assert myself so that I can get accommodations that are reasonable.

People go “well how did you go from shy and quiet to like this big social butterfly?” The magic is this, I got awesome at my skill. I became a great songwriter. And I became sought after for my talent. And that helped me get confident as a person. That confidence allowed me to walk into any room and say, “Hey, this is what I need. This is what I deserve. And this is how I want you to perceive me because it’s how I perceive myself.”

Achieving Success

Mini Skirt

I did find success in music, especially as an electronic dance music vocalist. I found myself on a bunch of really cool projects. I found myself hosting a PBS special for American Masters I found myself performing at the Kennedy Center talking to the White House speaking at NPR, speaking at Adweek working with my idol upon idols, Alicia Keys. That’s when I knew I made it.

What am I doing right now because of that? I’m also the co chair of the Recording Academy Advocacy Committee here in New York City and I have had the pleasure of meeting with Congress on the behalf of musicians. I am the founder and president of RAMPD. We are a coalition of accredited and top recording artists and music professionals who identify as disabled, having chronic illness, having a rare disease, being deaf, having neurodiversity and we come together. And I one of the biggest things we do is we advocate for disability culture girl.

Disability Culture

Lachi Outdoors

Listen, disability is a culture. If you think of it as a medical card that you have to show people, you on the wrong boat girl, you like a decade behind. Disability culture encompasses the art that comes from the different bodies that we come in. The art that comes from the oppression that we face, the art that comes from the discrimination that we face from the ignorance of seeing disability as just a medical situation.

But guess what? Let me tell you something about to blow your mind. I am not a musician who happens to be blind. I am a musician who identifies as blind. Because guess what? Disability is an identity and I’m proud to be a part of that culture. So that’s me in a nutshell.

Big shout out to Stephanae McCoy, girl. I encourage all other women or men or other if you are feeling in your heart, you know you were kind of made for greater things but you can’t figure out how to get from point A to point B. Prove it to yourself first because you deserve to be loved. You deserve to be happy. You deserve to be heard. But most importantly, you deserve to be seen. And I see you. Lachimusic.com I’m out.

Connecting With Lachi:

Image Descriptions:

  • The header, Beyond Sight Magazine, and YouTube thumbnaial photos are identical. They are a still shot of Lachi speaking to the camera wearing a multi-colored pastel dress and holding a white cane painted in multi-colored pastel, holding a golden Statuette. Text on the cover reads “Beyond Sight February 2022 | Women On The Move | Lachi.”
  • YouTube Video Description: In the video, Lachi is standing in front of red drapes with one of her canes. She is wearing a black long-sleeved top adorned with braille that says, T-W-I-N.
  • Lachi poses in a denim jacket and leather pants, holding a white cane painted red with a red rose in her hair.
  • Zebra Print Dress:  Lachi poses in front of a mocha backdrop, wearing a zebra print dress and holding a folded bedazzled white and black cane over her shoulder. Her hair is up in a bun and her face is fully painted with white flames outlined in black. 
  • Mini Skirt: Lachi, a black woman with cornrows, stands in front of a black background holding a black and gold bedazzled whitecane, and wearing a black and gold blouse, with a black leather mini skirt, and black thigh high boots.
  • Lachi stands outdoors on a sidewalk with her white cane wearing a bedazzled black face mask, white crop top with bell sleeves, and black pants..