I Identify as Blind - by Lachi (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Lachi is an award-winning musician and leader who awakens the world to this truth: Disability has long shaped our culture and is an identity worth brazenly celebrating. In this book, Lachi welcomes readers into the vibrant world of Disability Culture, centering identity, innovation, and unapologetic pride. I Identify as Blind pulses with energy. Through magnetic storytelling, pop-culture deep dives, and historical insight, Lachi challenges mainstream views on disability with humor, heart, and high fashion. She reveals how the adaptability of visionaries with disabilities throughout the years have always driven progress. The book features dynamic conversations with trailblazing figures like U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, Breaking Bad star RJ Mitte, Microsoft executive Jenny Lay-Flurrie, and so many more. Lachi even takes readers behind the scenes at Coldplay concerts, since after Chris Martin developed tinnitus, he transformed his concerts into some of the most accessible in the world. Each story reframes disability not as a deficit but as a wellspring of collective strength. And inventions created for people with disabilities benefit everyone-from audiobooks to curb cuts to the Internet. (Vint Cerf helped develop the first commercial email service, because he had trouble communicating by phone.) With punchy humor and radical honesty, Lachi dismantles stereotypes and builds a new narrative of Disability identity. I Identify as Blind is an invitation to a cultural movement-welcoming everyone to celebrate Disability as a source of power and pride. Come for the laughs, stay for the mic drops"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

With style and straight talk, musician and activist Lachi redefines disability as a cultural movement, an empowering identity, and a blueprint for innovation that you can't afford to ignore.

Lachi is an award-winning singer and leader who awakens the world to this truth: Disability has long shaped our culture and is an identity worth brazenly celebrating. In this book, Lachi welcomes readers into the vibrant world of Disability Culture.

I Identify as Blind pulses with energy. Through magnetic storytelling, pop-culture deep dives, and historical insight, Lachi challenges mainstream views on disability with humor and heart. Because visionaries with disabilities have always driven progress.

The book features trailblazing figures like Senator Tammy Duckworth, Breaking Bad star RJ Mitte, Microsoft executive Jenny Lay-Flurrie, and so many more. Lachi even takes readers behind the scenes at Coldplay concerts, since after Chris Martin developed tinnitus, he transformed his concerts into some of the most accessible in the world. Each story reframes disability not as a deficit but as a wellspring of collective strength. And inventions created for people with disabilities benefit everyone--from audiobooks to curb cuts to the internet. (Vint Cerf helped develop the first commercial email service, because he had trouble communicating by phone.)

With punchy humor and radical honesty, Lachi dismantles stereotypes and builds a new narrative of Disability identity. I Identify as Blind is an invitation to a cultural movement--welcoming everyone to celebrate disabilities as a source of power and pride.

Come for the laughs, stay for the mic drops.

Review Quotes

"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

About the Author

Lachi is an award-winning recording artist, a co-producer of a Grammy-nominated album, a public speaker, and the first openly disabled National Trustee of the Recording Academy. She is the CEO of RAMPD (Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities), which has partnered with Netflix and Live Nation. Named a USA Today Woman of the Year and a "dedicated foot soldier for disability pride" by Forbes, Lachi hosted the PBS American Masters series Renegades, has appeared on Good Morning America, and she has spoken at The White House. She lives in New York City.