Recording artist, activist, and provocateur Lachi redefines what it means to celebrate disability, by showcasing the innovations and leadership within her community, and by framing disability as an identity, a cultural force, and a reservoir of resilience and creativity.
Lachi is an award-winning musician and an unapologetic activist who awakens the world to this truth: Disability is an identity worth brazenly celebrating. In her book, Lachi spotlights how disabled people have to be driven, persistent, perceptive, and highly adaptable just to get through any given day. What would happen if society finally valued disabled people as the leaders, role models, and key innovators they truly are?
I IDENTIFY AS BLIND envisions how we can build that world. Weaving together personal stories, sharp pop culture takes, inspiring activist history, and incisive cultural criticism, Lachi lights the path forward and reveals how insights from people with disabilities have shaped society for the better. She interviews some of the most powerful personalities in Disability Culture, including Senator Tammy Duckworth, ADA advocate and disability rights icon Judy Heumann, and Oscar-nominated filmmaker of Crip Camp Jim LeBrecht. She even takes readers behind the scenes at Coldplay concerts, since after Chris Martin developed tinnitus he helped transform his concerts into some of the most accessible in the world. Readers discover how many innovations created for people with disabilities benefit everyone—from audio books, to curb cuts, to the Internet. (Yes, Vint Cerf helped develop the first commercial email service because he was hearing impaired and had trouble communicating by phone.)
Filled with humor and inspiration, I IDENTIFY AS BLIND helps readers find the power of leaning into the riskiest parts of their identities (whether they are disabled or not), and understand all the wisdom inherent in the disability experience.
“Lively, wise, and candid, this book offers profoundly necessary insights into the complexities—and joys—of living with disability. A provocative invitation to rethink what it means to be disabled.”
—Kirkus
“I identify as a Lachi fan! Her book hits all the right notes, welcoming readers to the conversation about disability with the perfect harmony of sharp commentary and nuanced teaching. Composed with candor and courage, all of Lachi’s stories shine as brightly as her Glam Canes.”
—Emily Ladau, author of Demystifying Disability
“A vibrant celebration of disability culture and community. Lachi’s wit and wisdom shine through on every page.”
—Dr. Amy Kenny, Director of Georgetown University’s Disability Cultural Center, and author of the award-winning book My Body Is Not a Prayer Request
“Lachi’s story is powerful, raw, and deeply necessary. I Identify as Blind is more than a book—it’s a movement, a challenge to see the world differently, and an invitation to honor the fullness of our identities. As someone who has fought to create space in industries that often overlook us, I felt deeply seen and inspired by her words. This is a must-read for anyone ready to break barriers and embrace true representation.”
—Jillian Mercado, model, actor, and activist
“A fascinating journey into the complex world that people with disabilities navigate every day. Lachi provides many insights into how she found her true identity, and how everyone can celebrate their full identities as well.”
—Temple Grandin, New York Times bestselling author of Visual Thinking and Thinking in Pictures
“Lachi, who “identifies as blind,” arrives on the literary scene with a memoir that will make readers laugh out loud on one page and consider the world around them in a new way on the next.”
—Booklist
“Buoyant… an inviting and entertaining account from a powerful voice in disability rights.”
—Publishers Weekly
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