Transcript

Theme song:

Oh, my goodness. You are such an inspiration. Wow. You really are. You're so strong. Can I fetch your service doll? 1, 2, 3, let's go! We are artists, parents, teachers Good guys, bad guys students, leaders Not your inspiration Yeah, I wrote it in this song. Everything you know about disability is wrong. Everything you know.

Erin Hawley:

Hey, everyone. Welcome to another episode of everything you know about disability is wrong. Today, on the podcast, we have model, actor, content creator, disability advocate, and CEO of Live Solo. Welcome to the show, Lolo Spencer.

Lily Newton:

You might know Lauren Lolo Spencer from her role as Jocelyn on Mindy Kaling's Max series, The Sex Lives of College Girls, or from her indie spirit award nominated performance in the film give me liberty. Her latest film, Bob Trevino likes it, won this year's narrative feature jury award and audience award at the South by Southwest Film Festival. One of In style's 50 women making the world a better place, Lolo is an ambulatory wheelchair user due to a neuromuscular mobility disability. Last year, she launched Live Solo, a lifestyle brand dedicated to young adults with disabilities who seek independence and self empowerment. Welcome to the pod, Lolo.

Lolo Spencer:

Thank you, y'all. I'm happy to be here.

Lily Newton:

We are so excited to have you. Before we get started, let's do audio descriptions. So I'll lead us off and then Erin will give hers and then you can give yours. Perfect. This is Lily speaking. I am a white presenting woman in my mid twenties. I have mid length brown hair and green eyes. Today, I'm wearing a black turtleneck and a gray cardigan along with my necklace that I fidget with often during the recording.

Lily Newton:

Erin, you wanna go ahead?

Erin Hawley:

Yep. I'm Erin. I'm about presenting woman with red hair and blue eyes, and I'm sitting in my wheelchair, and I have a striped long sleeve shirt on.

Lolo Spencer:

Yes. So, I'm Lolo. This is Lolo. I'm a black woman with big silver hoop earrings, a black headband, curly brown hair, a red t shirt, and a beautiful gap that is always showing when I smile.

Lily Newton:

I love that. Welcome to the podcast. We are so excited to have you. This is gonna be a great episode. Exactly. Listeners, we always do a little preproduction call with our guests. And with Lola, we were just Kiki and having a great time. So I know this is gonna be great.

Lily Newton:

So, alright. Let's let's get into it. Let's do the let's do the interview. Let's do it.

Erin Hawley:

So, we we need to ask this question to all the guests. Since the name of the podcast is what it is, we wanna know what do people get wrong about you and your disability?

Lolo Spencer:

Oh, that's a great question. What do people get wrong about me and my disability? I think, for me, because I'm an ambulatory wheelchair user, a lot of people assume that I'm permanently using my wheelchair, because a lot of people don't know that you can still have ambulatory movement. For those who don't know that means, it basically means you're, like, able to walk and stand still. A lot of people don't know that that exists. So I think that's one of the the main things about my disability that people get wrong. And I would just say, like, maybe overall, just this idea of, like, life was, like, an extremely tragic experience or the reason I became a disabled person was because of an a tragic experience. That wasn't necessarily my case. It was something that was very unexpected for sure.

Lolo Spencer:

Like, didn't see it coming from anywhere, but it wasn't the result of something, like, horrific that people tend to associate when it comes to people being diagnosed with these. You know? So I would probably say those are the 2 biggest things that people tend to get wrong.

Lily Newton:

Yeah. That makes sense. I think that when you see, like, there's always the people that are trying to spot, like, people who use wheelchairs. Like, that person's leg moved. They don't need to be in this wheelchair. Like

Lolo Spencer:

Yeah. And it can turn really violent. Like, I've heard of people who are ambulatory who have really experienced, like, extreme harassment, just like people being mad disrespectful to them because, again, they're like, what are you doing parking in the handicapped spot? And it's just like, woah. Relax. And, also, let's fix language. But, you know, that's a whole other thing for another day. But

Lily Newton:

True. Truly.

Erin Hawley:

But Yeah. A whole lot.

Lolo Spencer:

Go wild. And it's just like, relax. You're not the disability police.

Lily Newton:

Yeah. It is odd how much people want to self designate themselves as the

Erin Hawley:

disability police. It is a role people want to play, which is weird. Disability police. It is a role people want

Lily Newton:

to play, which is weird.

Erin Hawley:

It

Lily Newton:

is so weird. And it's just like

Lolo Spencer:

and then they want

Lolo Spencer:

to play it, but then, like, won't talk to the manager. It is so weird. And it's just like and then they want to play it,

Lolo Spencer:

but then, like, won't talk to the manager if a place doesn't have, like, a ramp. It's like so you wanna, like, accuse people for faking or what you assume to be faking, which obviously people aren't faking, but it only stops there. Like, it only starts and stops there just so you can feel like you have a moral ground to stand on when you go home at night. And you could go tell your friends and family, this is what I did today. Here goes my gold star to humanity. I cussed out somebody who needed the space, I didn't know they needed the space, and, like, he bugged me. It's the motherfucker's bad.

Lily Newton:

That is such a good point of the, like if you have that energy, if you wanna come at something, like, and be the disability police

Erin Hawley:

Yeah.

Lily Newton:

Go talk to places that are inaccessible. Like Yeah. That's how the energy should be used. I that's such a good way to put it because, like, sure. If you've got the energy I don't have the energy to yell at random people throughout the day. Literally. If you've got it, do it at inaccessible spaces or, like, There's just, yeah, there's no need to try to police. But no one's like the trope of faking a disability, like, that comes from stereotypes from old movies.

Lily Newton:

Like, there's no one's really doing that. Like, there's not Whatever. The benefits aren't good enough. I wish the benefits were good enough. I wish the government gave us unlimited money and there were ramps everywhere.

Lolo Spencer:

Right. Then it would make sense why people would, like, want to fake it. But, like, no.

Lily Newton:

That's not the case. Those are great things that people get wrong. And, of course, the the tragic backstory. People definitely I think that's an assumption that from having a, like, neurological developmental disability like that, people bring that to all aspects of disability. Just like, oh, what happened? Like, you did a thing or, well, I'm so sorry that I'm so sorry you are who you are. I'm like, well, I'm

Lolo Spencer:

not Literally, I went to the ear, nose, and throat doctor, super random, and, listen, allergies and sinuses have really been a thing for me lately. I don't know if it's my age, what's happening. But I went to the ear, nose, and throat doctor, and the main entrance was not accessible, was not given a heads up about it. I mean, because granted, I guess, I didn't say it, but at the same time, it's like, should I have to? Any though, it wasn't accessible in the front, so one of the nurses had to come downstairs to lead me to some other back way to, you know, get up to the doctor's office. And as we're in the elevator, she's just like, oh, no. What happened? You're too young. And I'm like, I want to scream. Like, she was like, you're you're too young.

Lolo Spencer:

What happened? And I'm like I was like, Nothing happened. Nothing happened. I actually just was like, Nothing happened. I was like, there's no and then just this idea of you're too young. Right? Like, what is this ageism association with disability where it's like it's expected if you're old to have a disability. But if you're young with a disability, again, your life is already, like, fucked. And it's just like so many things happen to so many people at so many different ages. It's like, what is that about? I just thought that was that was very for a

Lily Newton:

sec. No. Yeah. It it is interesting because at the same time that that exists where, like, oh, you're too young to be experiencing what you're going through. Then when people do accept disability, I feel like there's also the other side of ageism of, like, infantilizing, like, assuming that you're like, Erin, people always assume you're so young.

Erin Hawley:

Yes. Like a child. Yeah. And I just turned 40, in August.

Lolo Spencer:

Hi. Shout

Erin Hawley:

out. I remember one time, I don't know if I already shared this story. But one time, me and my dad went to a haunted house Mhmm. In South Carolina. And, at the time, I was 25, maybe. And I definitely get to get the tickets to get in, and the lady says to my dad, she has to be at least 8 years old to get in. And I was like, I'm older than you. I Yikes.

Erin Hawley:

Yeah.

Erin Hawley:

That's so wild. So, you

Lily Newton:

know, you're getting it on both sides. So, like, you're too too young for this to happen, but then

Lolo Spencer:

Once people accept it, then it's like, oh, let me treat you like a child. It's like, okay, which one y'all want us to be?

Erin Hawley:

We want us

Lolo Spencer:

to be the age that we actually are or not. Like, just what's the t? Yeah. Yeah. It's so weird. It's it's so weird. And then plus, it's like this it didn't make me feel good either because it was just like, you're trying to make the fact that I'm younger than you expect me to have a disability. So, like, almost like my youth is being attacked or something. Or, like, my youth like, it just did it's just the way she said, you're too young.

Lolo Spencer:

I'm just like, fuck. Okay? Like, you know what I mean? Like, thanks for reminding me. Like, what the fuck are you saying to me? Like, what what is it was just so uncomfortable. I just did not like it at all. I was not a fan.

Erin Hawley:

Yeah. Yeah. That's I'm sorry you dealt with that because there is,

Lily Newton:

like, an underlying, like, the time of your life to have fun is just

Lolo Spencer:

Exactly that, Lily. Like, it was exactly like like, you should be fucking in out and, like, doing all of these like, you should be all of these things. You're too young. You're too young. And it's just like, who's saying I'm not doing any of those things, though? Like, what?

Lily Newton:

Yeah. I'm out. Right.

Lolo Spencer:

I'm out. I'm out here. Like, girl, I showed up to this appointment by myself. Like and you see the way that I'm dressed. Like, that's, like, ulti no shade, but, like, you see that I'm not, like you see I have a good energy and a good spirit with me today. Like, what about my is just I don't girl. Okay.

Erin Hawley:

I told you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

Lolo Spencer:

I'm sorry. I could go on this tangent forever clearly. So, yes. I'm sorry.

Lily Newton:

Tangent's welcome. That's what this space is for because sometimes that's the only way we can get through. Just like blatant ableism is just

Erin Hawley:

to have a space like this where we could be like, what the

Lolo Spencer:

fuck? Yeah. Literally. Literally that.

Lily Newton:

But on to other topics. Yes. Kind of similarly adjacent, though. In January, you made a video with one of our past guests and icon amazing woman, Jillian Mercado, highlighting your experiences as disabled actresses in Hollywood. Yeah. What has the response been to that video? I saw it went pretty viral. And so how much how much fun did you and Jillian have making it? Because she's a prize.

Lolo Spencer:

When Jillian and I get together, it is a time. Okay? Jillian and I have so much fun. We are forever, like, peeking on the phone, just having a blast. That is my girl. And, you know, the the interesting part about us doing that video together, you know, it was during a time we both needed laughter. And so it was so special because we leaned on each other to do something we love to do, which is, you know, act and be funny and, you know, and and be together in friendship during a time we both really needed that kind of, like, emotional support. So it was a really fun video. We totally enjoyed ourselves.

Lolo Spencer:

Like, we like, even leading up to the video, we're, like, leaving voice notes to each other, and we have, like, this, collaborative note on our phone of, like, all the ideas and and the the different things that we were gonna hit on in the video. And it was great. It was honestly just great. And so as far as the response, a lot of people really caught the humor that we were creating in the video. Like, people understood what we were saying as far as, like, the seriousness of, like, that's fucked up. Like, these are the things that they've had to experience. But because it was done through laughter, I think people really were able to hone in on the fact that we made light of these situations and these experiences that we had without it being this rah rah rah, like, activist moment. Do you know what I mean? And so, yeah, like, it really and I think that's what made people really enjoy it, you know, disabled, nondisabled like.

Lolo Spencer:

And I enjoyed it. I I wanna do more things like her and I have talked about. Like, girl, we should do, like, another video or something. I don't know what we would do, but, you know, we just we just knew it was a good time and something special. So, and luckily, everybody enjoyed it and everybody understood the jokes. So it was great.

Lily Newton:

Yeah. Awesome.

Erin Hawley:

I love that. Yay. Yeah. So, like, I know in our pre projection call, you talked a bit about, like, your time in Hollywood Mhmm. And how a lot of people assume that you had some kind of, like, tragic, difficult time in Hollywood. Can you talk a little bit about that?

Lolo Spencer:

Yeah. I mean, you know, first of all, when we talk about the entertainment industry in general, it is known fact of the abuse and manipulation and the harassment that people, disabled, non disabled, have experienced in entertainment. Right? So Hollywood, just in general, I think, already is known for its not so good parts of the industry with all of the documentaries that are coming out and the, you know, me too movements and all these different, you know, celebrities going to jail for what they've done. You know, people are already under that assumption that Hollywood is this scary, daunting place. And in many, many ways, it can be it has been for a lot of people. For me in particular, I haven't had that experience. So I think it's important to also share what it looks like when cast, crew, your team all get on one page to be sure that you feel the most comfortable when showing up for work. And what that looks like and what that means now.

Lolo Spencer:

Was there, like, some things that maybe could have been better? Sure. Absolutely. But was it anything that felt like it interfered with my ability to perform or show up for work. Nothing like that has ever happened for me. I mean, to be honest, the films that I was on that I've been in have been independent budgets. So it's like you kind of can gauge what your expectation is as far as, like, what you can get. Right? But none of my disability accommodations were ever not met. Like, those were always met, you know? But it's like, is crafty the best on an independent film? Probably not.

Lolo Spencer:

You know what I mean? But that has nothing to do with disability. That's just, you know, whatever. Your own preference. But I haven't had those experiences, and I think being able to share that that's the case is important so people know that they too can have a good experience living out their dream if this is what their dream is as well. Now the thing is that I always like to be very clear about is it does not happen unless everybody is all in in making it happen. If one person is like, I don't really think that's important, then the whole domino effect happens. But your team your team, your manager, agent, assistant, whoever's on your team, those people and yourself have to be very, very clear and very specific about what your needs are on set. From the moment you are asked to leave your home to go to set and come back home, you better know what your checklist is and what that looks like and whatever those needs are.

Lolo Spencer:

Secondly, the production has to be completely on board from the if you're doing a TV show from the showrunner down to the PA, everyone has to be on board and understand. What we're asking for isn't a bougie request. What we're asking for is actual accommodations for us to be able to function while we're here and be as comfortable as possible or as relaxed as possible. So that way, we can perform at the best of our ability, which is why you cast me to begin. And I think when disabled talent knows that they got cast because of their talent, You go into it knowing that production wants you to play this role. So don't go into it. Oh, I'm just happy to be here. I'll do whatever you guys need me to do.

Lolo Spencer:

Oh, I'm not gonna ask because I don't wanna rock the boat. Fuck that. They wanted you. So ask for what you want in order to have the best experience that you can have while on set.

Lily Newton:

That is such phenomenal advice for people pursuing who wanna be on sets. And, also, just, I think, in general, you know, whatever your workplace is, like, self advocacy is really important. And then also your management's advocacy is really important and having everyone on board. I that what you're saying made me curious as because you have auditioned for both roles that have specified this is for a character with a disability and roles that have not. And do you do you ever think about, like, when you're auditioning for those roles that have not specified? Like, do you think self advocacy might be more difficult on those sets because they didn't know disability was going to be a part of their set? Like, I I'm just interested in that experience.

Lolo Spencer:

That's actually a very good question. For everything that I've booked so far, it has called for disability. So I I can't really say what the difference would necessarily be if they did choose me, yet the character itself didn't call for a disability. I don't know. However, my team and I have booked me, maybe if not for, like, an acting role, it was for a modeling job or a speaker's, you know, to go speak somewhere, be on a panel somewhere. So we're used to me going to places that aren't disability focused Mhmm. And yet still having to ask for the accommodation for what I need in order to show up and, you know, be there for what they want me to be there for. So we're used to it.

Lolo Spencer:

So regardless, like, if if I were or when I do book a role that didn't necessarily call for a disability, we'll already know what to ask for. So it's like, you know, how production will respond to that. I would hope it would be, you know, welcomed, but I would just think that it would be very, not smart on their end Right. To cast a person with a disability than be surprised that they have accommodations that they're asking for. Like

Lily Newton:

Absolutely. And, you know, I like that you spoke that, if into existence and made it a when because nondisabled actors take disabled actor roles all the time. So we do need to get to a point where disabled actors are getting hired for characters that don't necessarily specify because that's how we'll get to a point where sets know that they have to be accessible all the time.

Lolo Spencer:

Exactly. Exactly. And I think that's so important too because I've always, you know, advocated. Right? At the end of the day, Hollywood is nothing but a dream place. Like, it a lot of these scripts are from people's fucking imaginations. Right? Like, this is half of the shit isn't even real life. So it's like, if we're all pretending at the end of the day, why not be able to accommodate people the way they need to be accommodated? You know, once I get a callback and there's non disabled people at the same callback audition, then it's like, alright. Everybody play whoever you wanna play.

Lolo Spencer:

I don't care. I'll let a non disabled person play a disabled person because now I know I can play a role that doesn't necessarily call for disability. You know? And so when that equity is there for us, who cares? Everybody have at it. Like, what's a habit anyways? That doesn't even exist. Like, you know what I mean? But there are roles for people. So

Lily Newton:

Yeah. You know, I wish people understood that that, like, once we achieve equity, then you can do whatever you want. Like, you know, then it's fine because we can, you know, and this applies to, like, trans actors and queer actors in general. Like, just how do we yeah. It's just a equity makes it better for

Lolo Spencer:

everyone. Exactly. Because there's plenty of gay actors, queer actors who play straight.

Erin Hawley:

Mhmm.

Lolo Spencer:

And there's plenty of straight actors who have played queer. So it's like everybody's getting a is able to do it. Come on now. Disability, we're usually, unfortunately, at the tail end of getting what we need. But if we can get it, my theory is is if it can start showing up in entertainment, it will shift the way the rest of the world views our community. And I hate to rely on entertainment to do it, but, honestly, entertainment shifts culture and creates change. It just is what it is.

Lily Newton:

Absolutely. And that goes to, you know, what you're saying about the video you made with Jillian, the fact that the the point was made so much better to your audiences because they're laughing, they're enjoying it. Like TV and film is always going to have that ability to like, we're already pretending. We're already suspending disbelief. So that puts you in, like, an open state of, like, Oh, I didn't realize the world is bigger than I expected. I think that's really great. And you know, I'm so glad you've had great experiences on set and haven't had the, again, the tragic backstory that's assumed for so many people. So you're currently filming the new season of Sex Lives of College Girls.

Lily Newton:

Right?

Erin Hawley:

Yes. Yes.

Lily Newton:

What has been do you have, like, a favorite on set experience from

Lolo Spencer:

filming? Not one that I can talk about necessarily. I will say I I will say the one thing that I was really excited about this season is so it's notoriously known that there are no wheelchair accessible trailers except this one trailer that exists that isn't even, like, as comparable, but it's, like, cute enough, you know, to get through your day. That trailer was at base camp this time. And for those who don't know, base camp is the area on every production where where everyone kinda rouse up together. Cast, crew, everyone is there. That's like when you can't find somebody, like, you start at base camp. Like, well, if you're looking for somebody, you start at base camp, see if they're at base camp, and then if they're not, then they better be on set. Because if they're not on set, then it's like, where the hell did this person go? So so base camp is, like, the place where everybody hangs out.

Lolo Spencer:

So my trailer is on base camp this season. So I was really, really excited about that because previous seasons, I was in an accessible room that was a little further away from base camp, which was great in the sense of the fact that the room was so big. So I did enjoy that, like, the space. It feels good to be to have my trailer at base camp because now I can yell at my castmates out the window and be like, Hannah. Like, you know, I we would just have us a good little time, keep the the trailer doors open, play some music, just enjoy ourselves, you know, yell out to somebody. Be like, can I get a doughnut from Crafty? Like you know? And just just chill with each other and go to the Starbucks that's on the lot or something like that.

Lily Newton:

That's a fun cast. You wanna be able to be a part of that camaraderie.

Lolo Spencer:

Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. Exactly.

Erin Hawley:

It's amazing. If I was on set, I'd be like, I'm in Starbucks right now. Yes.

Lolo Spencer:

Yes. Exactly. No. There was one time we were waiting to go on set, which is, you know, a normal thing to do, And I was like, yo, I want Starbucks. And so, me and my friend who, helps with, he's basically my aide right now. We were like, yo, let's try and find the Starbucks. And so one of the PAs overheard us and was like, oh, you want me to walk you to Starbucks? Like, yeah, walk us to Starbucks. And then one of my other castmates was just, like, chilling outside of her trailer, and she was like, oh, I wanna go to Starbucks.

Lolo Spencer:

I'm like, girl, come on. And so we all just went and got Starbucks because we were on board waiting for us to get called. So

Lily Newton:

That's amazing.

Lolo Spencer:

Yeah. It was great.

Erin Hawley:

So we did pivot a little bit to chat about, Live Solo. Yes. Can you tell us, how you started that? What was your your inspiration?

Lolo Spencer:

Yes. So Live Solo is my lifestyle brand dedicated to young adults with disabilities who are seeking independence and self empowerment. And it was an idea that I had always been, like, playing around with for a while, but really didn't put into action until 2020 COVID when we had nothing but time to just sit and think. So, I was just recognizing that at the time, I, you know, I had all this started because I had a YouTube channel. My YouTube channel is Sitting Pretty. And I just had recognized, like, with Sitting Pretty, it was only my perspective, my experiences, is my stories. And I felt like there should be a platform that expands disability beyond my own awareness, and give those people the opportunity. Because not everyone is necessarily comfortable in front of being in front of a camera and, like, talking to a screen or whatever.

Lolo Spencer:

So I was like, what can I do that would allow people to create more community? So I thought about this lifestyle brand and, listen, I have a whole 5 year, 10 year, like, idea for it. And so it started off as an online blog first, and I was able to gather a bunch of people who wanted to write for Live Solo and share their experiences and what they've gone through with their particular disabilities. But the point of it was to be able to provide solutions around lifestyle experiences. Right? I feel like with disability, there's so much out there for our medical needs, but not enough about our lifestyle needs. You know, how do we dress? Where do we go to have fun? How do we travel? What are the ways to go navigate restaurants or whatever the case is? Like, we're nobody's talking about it. And so I wanted to provide an opportunity for that. So we got writers with, severe food allergies, which I did not know classified as a disability, but definitely does, Severe food allergies, ADHD, CP, EDS, blindness. I'm trying to think of everybody that's contributed.

Lolo Spencer:

Is someone who's playing basketball? I can't remember. There's just so many people. But the point is is that it's beyond just my personal experience. So it started off as an online blog and now has transitioned that we didn't quite have the, same that we didn't quite have the same opportunity to do in the form of an online blog. So that is available. All of the issues are on our website, livesolo.co. And, yeah, it was it's really dope. I'm really excited about it and and where I plan to take it.

Lily Newton:

Such I just love what you said about sharing multiple perspectives. Like, that's such a it's so necessary. And, like, cute style to show off and, like, fun stuff. Like, cute style to show off

Erin Hawley:

and, like

Lily Newton:

Weird. Fun stuff. Like, that's so great and, actually, transitions us so beautifully into the next section of this interview because we this is an Easterseals podcast, so we like to talk about the Easterseals pillars, which are education, employment, transportation, community, and health care. And I always like to start with community because it's so necessary. And I mean, you're doing it. You're building community there. That's sharing those stories and creating a place where people I mean, even just reading that digital magazine like that will it feels so good to be a part of something, and whether that's as a reader or someone who's creating their own materials. I think that's just so incredible what you're doing.

Lily Newton:

And, you know, we've talked about it a little bit, but what what kind of role do you think community plays in your life and that what how did that inspire you to decide to do this?

Lolo Spencer:

You know, community for me is everything, even in my personal life. Like, I I've lived in LA almost 20 years. Yes. Almost 20 years. And everywhere I've lived, I built community around me. Like, even right now, there was a time in my, apartment where my best friend was living on the 6th floor. My really good friend, Wes Hamilton, I'm sure you guys know who he is, He was living on the 5th floor. Currently, my sister lives in the building over.

Lolo Spencer:

Like, we just it's always community. It's so many, it's just so important to have. And so I really wanted to be sure that I was able to create kind of the same experiences that I get to have on a personal level to the community of people with disabilities as well. Because that's the one thing that I really know I'm good at is bringing people together. And I wanted to use that strength in a positive way and in a way that felt like it was serving people beyond who I know personally. So yeah. So so Live Solo is my thing, and I can't wait till we expand into, like, in person events and activities and that kind of thing because because even during COVID, I was hosting Zoom parties, and it was lit. Like, people were turning up.

Lolo Spencer:

So

Lily Newton:

That's so cool that you I mean, you're a community builder. That's such a Yeah. Like, incredible skill to have. And and, like, when you have a good community builder in your life, it's so one of my best friends is a therapist and just is a phenomenal community builder. And, like, I feel so lucky to have her in my life because the way she brings people together, it sounds to me like you're very similar to her in that just like some people have a skill of bringing people from different communities together and creating a bigger community. Like

Erin Hawley:

Yeah.

Lily Newton:

That is a skill, like, really amazing. And I think about, you know, the start of this interview, you talking about you and Jillian making that video right when you really needed it and, like, having someone who just gets it. Like, that that aspect of community cannot be valued high enough. I mean, that's why we made this podcast was to have a place where we can just talk to people who get it.

Lolo Spencer:

Yes. Exactly. Exactly. It's it's it's such a beautiful experience to have when you do have community. And I know a lot of times disability can feel very isolating in our experiences, in what we're feeling and what we're going through. So I want to ultimately have Live Solo be a place where people don't even if they might be isolated in real life for whatever reason, there's somewhere online that they can feel community. And like I said, when we get to the point of doing stuff in person, like, there's somewhere for them to go where people get it. Because a lot of times, our family, our friends, they don't get it.

Lolo Spencer:

It's not their fault for not getting it because nobody's ever educated on disability the way that we're educated on so many other things. But because they're not educated in it, it's hard to feel fully connected in a lot of ways. So when you are around people who get it, it makes all the difference.

Erin Hawley:

Totally. And I think, like, communities help a lot with mental health as well. What is Yeah. In speaking about health, have you have you been how's your experience in health care? Do you find it, like, accessible? I'm sure there's a lot of stories you can share.

Erin Hawley:

Yeah. Gina.

Lolo Spencer:

Any tales from my facial, what's How do I say this in a way that feels, I don't know, the health care system, I think, specifically in the states. I mean, obviously, because I haven't needed care outside of the states. The more you learn about it, the more detrimental it feels when you have a medical condition. Mhmm. Because of the proven stuff that has come out about big pharma and that it being all about money and not really wanting to heal or care for people. And in my case, not only because I have a disability, but I'm also a black woman, which statistics have shown that our pain is not revered as serious as when it's a white woman's pain. And a lot of us get misdiagnosed with things, because no one wants to take the time out to care for us. And I had a recent experience, because I'm going through the process of figuring out what my true diagnosis is again, which has unraveled a lot of emotions.

Lolo Spencer:

A lot of emotions, a lot of mental things that I have to do to keep my mental health straight. And the doctor was just very dismissive. It was very like there's no motivation to truly figure something out. Mhmm. And that's the part that frustrates me about the health care system. And it's this constant extreme challenge to get services that we need to where it's like, how is it that a doctor's note isn't enough? But we also have to prove how much money we have in our bank or get 4 different types of doctor's notes. And it's just this constant, okay. You got something wrong.

Lolo Spencer:

Here goes the pill. Mhmm. It's like, wait a minute. Before you throw this at me, are we sure this is what's really going on? Because, again, again, it's it's just pure dismissiveness. So I'm not the biggest fan of the health care system. It shouldn't be it should not take fucking weeks to get our wheelchairs fixed for those who are wheelchair users. I specifically remember one time my wheelchair broke and I you know, the wheelchair repairman came to my house and, you know, he was just like, how did your wheelchair break? And I was just like, to be completely honest, I don't know. You know, I have my 9 to 5 job.

Lolo Spencer:

I'm taking the bus. You know? Maybe I, like, hit a curb too hard or something like that. Like, I don't know. It's just what it is. And he was just like, wait. You take your wheelchair outside every day? And I said, yes. So I have to get to work. And he was like, oh, that's probably why your wheelchair keeps breaking down.

Lolo Spencer:

I was like, I'm not I'm not understanding. And he was like, well, wheelchairs aren't designed to go outside. And I was like, what? What? So he was like, so technically, you're using your wheelchair way more than it's designed to actually handle. And I'm like, what? What? And I'm like, so these devices from inception are being designed for us to not have a life outside of our front doors. Who came up with that? Who's telling people to do this?

Erin Hawley:

Mhmm. Why?

Lolo Spencer:

Literally, what the fuck and why? Like and that's when I knew, like, oh, this shit is fucked from, like, inception. We've got to do something to change this. And then it took weeks for the chair to even get fixed. I had to get a rental. That cost so much money to get the rental for as long as it took for me to get the work. It was just and then you gotta get a referral from the doctor for fucking what? Why does the doctor have to say she needs her chair fixed? Just let me get my chair fixed. It's broken, period. End of discussion.

Lolo Spencer:

Like, you don't need to fucking get a mechanic to sign off on you getting an oil change. You just go get your oil changed. I I I try not to get upset about the health care system, but it's that I really wish alternative medicine was more welcomed, in this country as a primary form of care that is covered by insurance. However, it's not. So that's a whole other tangent for another day. But yes.

Lily Newton:

Yeah. No. I mean, it's it's really hard. And, I mean, working at Easterseals, that's something that a lot of people who are participants talk about, like, just inability to find the equipment they need and, you know, Easterseals is just one nonprofit. They can't. We're doing the best we can, but it's it's ridiculous how many people are really not given the supplies they need to thrive. And, you know, you know, hearing you say that. And sometimes when given are then told that, well, it's actually not designed for you to leave your house, which what what the heck is that? Like, oh, it's not designed for you to live your life? That's

Lolo Spencer:

ridiculous. Literally. Literally.

Lily Newton:

And, also, wanted to say so hurt on the, like, mental gymnastics of trying to keep yourself feeling okay while figuring out a diagnosis. I I mean, mixed race person getting an autism diagnosis was ridiculously impossible because Yeah. Every time I go into the doctor my whole childhood, it was just like, well, try this anti depressant. Try this thing. Try this. And now looking back, you know, I look at my whole childhood, and it's like, it was really, really obvious, actually. Like, I'm not even that high masking. Like, it was really, really obvious

Erin Hawley:

if

Lily Newton:

anyone had taken more than 30 seconds. Like, and now I'm in the process of getting an EDS diagnosis, and I'm like, I have an appointment that I'm really excited for, but also deep down, I'm, like, really scared because I know how often those appointments end in, like, walking in being dismissed by often, like, an older white man who was never related to anything I've ever done. And, like, just just ridiculous how, like, you know, you're going to get a diagnosis, which is already its own, like, feet to climb and then to have to deal with bigotry in there. It's just ridiculous, and it is a real shame. And I I do hope that I mean, we don't have to solve the problem on this podcast, luckily, but I Yeah. I'm gonna suggest a a solution. Would hope it would be that we need more disabled doctors, and that begins with Yeah. Med schools being better about, acceptance rates and being accessible.

Lily Newton:

My Yeah. Older sister is a doctor, and she's phenomenal and has worked really hard to, take my experience as her disabled younger sister and become a better doctor in that. And she's fighting against systems, and it's really hard. And when we talk about her experience in medical school, she'll often bring up that, like, she was asked to do things that were not healthy. And so if someone can't necessarily like, just staying up for 48 hours for crazy rotations or for wild rotations And, like, medical school has got to change to be accommodating because we this country so desperately needs disabled health care workers. There's no there's no amount of education for nondisabled people, in my mind at least, that will replace just having a health care system that employs disabled people because a disabled doctor is gonna understand us better than any any non disabled person who's educated.

Lolo Spencer:

100%. And I think when the health care system changes its motivation from money to actually getting to the root cause of something and being open to new ways of figuring that out outside of the textbook boxes that they've learned, I think we would all be I think if alternative medical practitioners were able to work hand in hand with traditional medical practitioners and someone would be like, god. I can't I can't figure this out. Maybe I need to send you to this holistic practitioner and have them look at you. I think we would all be in a much healthier healthier state. Because the things that I've learned now I'm really about to go on with tangent. The things that I've learned about certain alternative medicines, a lot of people are not privy to. Like, have you guys ever heard of grounding or earthing? Okay.

Lolo Spencer:

Blew my mind. My dad What is that? My dad taught me about this. So, basically and when you guys Google it, look it up. I promise you. They basically said that there's these, like, doctors who learned about this. If you have any form of, like, chronic pain or chronic inflammation, a lot of our diseases that people are experiencing from, you know, rheumatoid arthritis to chronic pain to menstrual cramps, whatever it is, it's all rooted in inflammation. So they say if you put your bare feet in the grass or on the ground, in the sand, anywhere where it's natural stuff happening from the earth for a minimum 30 minutes every day, your inflammation will drop drastically. Pain will drop drastically.

Lolo Spencer:

Like, it's been proven. And I think about people with disabilities all the time, and I haven't really been the one that, like, super advocates for this because I'm still learning. Right? So let me preface this to say, I'm still learning this. So please but knowing that you could put your feet in the grass for 30 minutes every day and it being able to change your inflammation in your body is fascinating. It literally has helped me with my insomnia that I was suffering from a few months ago. Literally, I was able to start going to sleep way more peacefully. Now I can sleep without medication. And so it's fascinating when you learn about these things, and it's not talked about.

Lolo Spencer:

You don't go to a doctor's office and and or even just something as simple as changing your diet to being vegan and how much changing your diet has helped people fight cancer without chemo has helped people. Now I'm not saying, like, the medical system doesn't have a place because it definitely has a place. Like, I'm totally for taking medications if you really, really need it. But have we explored other things? You know? And so I just highly recommend everybody just look into it because it's completely free to put your feet

Erin Hawley:

in the grass. That's all. It's it's interesting because

Lily Newton:

it kinda ties back into community in that, like, information sharing kind of a way. Because when we live you know, when you think about, like, people before, like, I don't know what the before is, but when people lived in tighter communities where you could have these conversations and, like, about what in your environment is causing problems and what we're seeing, like, in your neighborhood able to do. I think it's really important because, like, yeah, whether it's grounding or like the thing that I'm keep thinking of is that I tried that. I don't know if you guys have seen it, but the TikTok trend about tart cherry juice, which is about drinking tart cherry juice before bed, apparently, is, like, really helpful for winding down. And, it's the way I saw it on TikTok was talking about, like, people who don't do very well with melatonin, and I don't do well with melatonin. It makes me feel terrible. So I but I have a hard time falling asleep. And, you know, I'll be honest.

Lily Newton:

When I saw the tart cherry juice thing, I was like, this is a TikTok trend. It's placebo. Like, this is not going to work. Yeah. Then one of my friends tried it and was like, hey. Like, I want you to actually try this. And I I swear by it now, and I've gotten, like, 4 or 5 other friends on it because it has really helped my sleep. And it's like, you know, I don't need to necessarily go, like, rewrite the textbooks.

Lily Newton:

Right. Reduces the answer. But at this point in time, like, it's you know, we we have and all full circle brings us to, like, your brand, Live Solo, having, like, a digital magazine, having these methods where especially disabled people can share our information with each other, I think, is so important. And, you know, we've seen on TikTok how many people I mean, the autistic community, how many people were struggling through a million diagnoses but couldn't figure out why none of these medications made them feel better? And then in 2020, when we're all locked inside our homes, start talking about like, hey, I actually am autistic. I found this out. And then suddenly we've got all these people self diagnosing, which I I know that there are people who are, like, self diagnosis is the worst. I'm a huge fan. I think it's really important.

Erin Hawley:

We Yeah.

Lily Newton:

When you can find things out in community and figure out, like, hey, like, I've my experiences are coming from other people's lived experience. I think that's really how we, like, heal together and how we create what you're talking about, these medical practices that aren't just a 20 minute appointment in a cold sterile room where we're not looking at any of the external factors that have affected a person.

Lolo Spencer:

Exactly. Exactly. 100,000%. And even you bringing up, you about to go through an EDS diagnosis for the May issue of Live Solo, one of our writers, talks about her journey, with her mother, getting her mother an EDS diagnosis from a physician who also has EDS. Wow. So you got to check that one out.

Lily Newton:

I will for sure. Yeah. Oh, my gosh. When things are done by and for within the community, it's so incredible. We last season, we had Caitlin Partlow, who is an autistic content creator who also is an autism therapist. And it's like, oh man, an autistic person doing autism therapy, a person with EDS diagnosing EDS, like, this is the money. This is where it's at. And, you know, I do think we're on a path.

Lily Newton:

Like, we're getting closer. Even the fact that we have space like this to, like, have conversations like this, I think is important. And I do feel that in, you know, whether it's in my lifetime or not, we're going to have a world that is a lot more inclusive because when we have disabled doctors and a world where disabled people can get around easily without worrying about their wheelchairs being broken on a plane

Erin Hawley:

Yes.

Lolo Spencer:

Like Yeah.

Lily Newton:

The world will be better.

Lolo Spencer:

Exactly that. Exactly that.

Lily Newton:

Like, think of how much information the world is missing out on because of the inaccessibility, Because disabled people are smart, and we are in

Lolo Spencer:

a hurry. Because we have to be. We have to be. And and I don't even think the inaccessibility is more the issue. It's the attitude around disability that ultimately ends up being the issue as to why people aren't open to learning or open to discovering or, investigating about new ways of doing things or new ways to design something. It's because a lot of people are very scared to to be introduced to disability because of the stereotypes that have been surrounded around the community in general. So, ultimately, inaccessibility is one thing too, but I think, ultimately, the attitude around being involved or inclusive to people with disabilities is the thing that needs to change the most.

Lily Newton:

I think that's super correct and just, like, you know, goes with the thesis of why we made this podcast.

Lolo Spencer:

Yes. I love it.

Lily Newton:

From the work you're doing as an actress in, you know, changing representation on screen, not only as a disabled woman, but as a Black disabled woman, you are breaking down barriers of representation on screen. So the work you're doing as an actress, the work you're doing as the creator and founder of this brand, like, it's people like you that are going to change those attitudes. And, I am so grateful you came on this podcast. This has been such a wonderful episode recording. Yes. I have a anything before we close?

Erin Hawley:

No. I just I love having it on.

Lolo Spencer:

Thank you.

Erin Hawley:

And I

Erin Hawley:

hope that we stay in touch because I had a great time, and I really appreciate the work that you've done. I did follow you since you've been on your YouTube channel. Oh, yay. So, like, I'm so happy I can hear you.

Lolo Spencer:

Yes. Thank you. Thank you so much. And you know what I would love to do? I would love to ask one of my writers to interview y'all, and we do, like, a feature in Live Solo about the podcast.

Lily Newton:

We'd love to

Erin Hawley:

do that.

Lolo Spencer:

Wouldn't that be amazing? Incredible.

Lily Newton:

That would be so amazing, and we love a collaboration.

Erin Hawley:

And We

Lily Newton:

love a collaboration. And we Lola, we're so as Easterseals representatives, we're so appreciative of all of the work you do to help us make our mission come true. Lola has participated in things with our affiliate at Easterseals Southern California. And just overall, your advocacy knows no bounds, and we are so excited to have you in our community because as we said, community is everything.

Lolo Spencer:

That's it. That's it. Thank you y'all so much. This was a blast. I had a great time.

Lily Newton:

And listeners, we will see you next time for another episode of everything you know about disability is wrong.

Erin Hawley:

If you like what you heard, go ahead and subscribe and leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts.

Lily Newton:

Thank you to our listeners. And as always, thank you to Easterseals for giving us the space and resources to share such authentic conversations from within the disability community to our listeners.

Erin Hawley:

And I'll see you next time for another episode of everything you know about disability is wrong.

Erin Hawley:

Everything you know about disability is wrong.

Lily Newton:

This is a podcast brought to you by Easterseals.

Erin Hawley:

You know, we actually work through Easterseals, but maybe our listeners don't know what we do.

Lily Newton:

That's true. Easterseals is leading the way to full access, equity, and inclusion for disabled people and their families.

Erin Hawley:

And did you know we've been doing this for more than a century?

Lily Newton:

This includes helping disabled people find meaningful employment and addressing health care needs for all ages.

Erin Hawley:

We've failed to serve communities across the country and ready for the next 100 years. For more, check out easterseals.com.

Lily:

Hey listeners, welcome to another episode of Everything You Know About Disability is Wrong.

Erin:

A podcast for disabled people and by disabled people. Today on the podcast we have award winning recording and performing artist Lachi. And she’s also a YouTuber and disability advocate.

Lily:

Lachi's music has been featured on radio, TV, in film, and she founded Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities or RAMPD, which is the coolest acronym ever. And she works with organizations as board members and doing DEIA work, and she's even a board member for the Grammys.

Erin:

And we want to thank Lachi for bringing to our attention the need for audio descriptions for our videos at the start of every episode.

Lily:

Yes, as always, accessibility is an ongoing effort, so we're so grateful to learn and be able to add something new to our podcast to make it even more accessible. We've already finished production for the episodes recorded in season two, so this will be added to Lachi's episode. And then listeners and viewers, you can expect every episode of season three to have these audio descriptions of the video you're seeing.

Erin:

Yep. So I’ll start.

Lily:

You want to get us started?

Erin:

Okay. I'll start us with my audio description. I'm Erin and a white presenting woman with strawberry, blonde hair, blue eyes, and I'm wearing a white long sleeve.

Lily:

Thanks, Erin. I'm Lily. I'm a white presenting woman with green eyes and shoulder length brown hair. I'm wearing a black turtleneck currently and I will be wearing a black turtleneck in the recording. In the recording, Erin's also wearing an orange sweater and we are joined by Lachi, who is a black woman with braids with her hair pulled back. She's wearing a pink shirt and a pink flower is pinned in her hair and on screen you also see the title of our podcast, which is Everything you know about Disability is Wrong.

Erin:

And we're really excited to get into it. So let's go.

[Music]

Oh my goodness. You are such an inspiration. Wow, you really are. You're so strong. Can I pet your service dog? 1, 2, 3, let's go. We're artists, parents, teachers, good guys, bad guys, students, leaders, I’m not your inspiration, yeah, I’m fully who I am. Got my own expectations that don't fit into your plans. I'm not your sad story. So I wrote it in this song. Everything you know about disability is wrong! Everything, yeah, everything you know about disability is wrong!

Lily:

We are so happy to have you on the podcast, Lachi. Thank you so much for being here.

Lachi:

Really excited to be here. Cannot wait to get into everything. Thank you for having me.

Lily:

So as Erin mentioned, she's so excited to have you as a guest and introduced me to your work and I'm so grateful that she did. I think you're so cool and I'm really excited for today. My first kind of intro getting to know you was I watched your YouTube series, Offbeat: Going Blind and Staying Fabulous, which is a phenomenal YouTube series. Listeners, check it out. It's really, really great. So can you tell us a little bit about that series and what made you decide to document your experience going from low vision to total blindness?

Lachi:

Yeah, I mean that was really sort of the beginning of my journey of celebrating my disability, pride, identity and culture. And today I use everything from my music to my storytelling to my fashion to advocate for disability, identity, pride, and culture. But I think it was about 2017 was when I got the diagnosis that I was going to lose my vision completely. And by that time in my life and career, I was in a place where I was like, you know, how do I turn this into money? How do I add this to my business proposal? So I was like, let me start by introducing to the world that I am going to be losing my vision. For a while I'd been navigating the music industry sighted-passing, I guess is the best way to say that. And I was finding success, but at this point I had to get in front of this diagnosis and not let it take me out.

So I said, I am going to draft up a bucket list of a bunch of people that I want to meet and a bunch of things that I want to do and we're just going to go do them. And honestly, I had this sort of negative correlation of as my site depleted, my quality of life increased and it just really got me wanting to mountain climb, wanting to scale buildings, wanting to jump out of airplanes, wanting to meet other leaders and famous people in my space. And that was really the kickoff point for me saying, listen, we're going to grab life by the proverbial balls and we're going to do this whole thing all the way.

Lily:

Snaps for that. I love that attitude and I think it is exactly what we try to embody here on Everything You Know about Disability is Wrong because I think that so much of what mainstream media talks about disability is this sad experience and it's like, no, this is awesome. These are our identities and we're going to make the most of them.

Erin:

The first video I saw on your channel was when you went skydiving. And to me, I was like, just as a person, that is terrifying to me. That is so cool. And I love how you bring in your disability in your videos without making it about disability. It says it shows that we are just people who do things and our disability is empowering, but just a part of who we're, and I love that.

Lachi:

Yeah, I mean just like I'm a woman, just like I'm a person of color, just like I am an American, just like I'm a daughter of immigrants, I also have a disability, I actually have multiple disabilities and I mean everybody's got something. And so I believe that the problem is that folks are afraid to celebrate all parts of their identity and there are certain parts of our identities that we're told to feel ashamed about and that we're told to hide. And so it's one of the reasons I lean in to my disability identity and talk about it, but at the end of the day, I'm just as proud of that part of myself as I am of the music part of myself as I am of the woman part of myself as I am of the black part of myself. And I feel like the fact that I'm blind and the fact that I'm a woman or black or whatever is not what makes me amazing. And it's not like, oh my God, she got out of bed or she brushed her teeth and she's blind. That's so amazing. It's amazing that I jumped out of a plane! That's what, and so that's the kind of stuff I want to celebrate. So I'm really excited that that's how it was received. [laughing]

Lily:

Yes, absolutely. When Jennifer Msumba, who was one of our season one guests and she wrote our theme song when we were talking about writing the theme song, that was one thing she talked about. She was like, I don't want to be called inspiring for going to the grocery store. I want to be inspiring for the actual inspiring stuff I do. Which I think that – yes, I love that you celebrate that and I think that just your outlook is so wonderful and I'm just in awe of the way that you celebrate life. I think that's exciting. And I think that I love everything you said about identity. I think you're exactly right – that there are parts of ourselves that we're told you should dial that down. And especially you mentioned being sighted-passing as the phrasing. I've spent most of my life as neurotypical passing. And there is that feeling of, well, this is just as much my identity as every other part of me, so I'm not actually going to try to pass or hide this. But also what you said, Erin, it's not my only defining quality. So I think that's really cool. Obviously our podcast is called Everything About You Know About Disability is Wrong, so we like to kind of ask what do people get wrong about you? And specifically I'm really interested in your thoughts on what people get wrong about progressive disability and finding out something that you're to go from low vision to fully losing your sight. What are some things for our listeners that they might get wrong about that kind of diagnosis and what you go through?

Lachi:

Firstly, in talking about progressive disability, so we are ever changing beings, right? You go from baby to toddler to adult, and that's just traumatizing in and of itself. You go from possibly single to married, heck, you go from straight to gay.

You might go from sighted to not sighted as just a natural part of your life hearing to not hearing, walking to non-ambulatory, and you may even go from neurotypical to neurodivergent due to certain catalysts in your life. And everyone goes through growth. I don't see it as going backwards. I actually just see it as part of growth. And so this whole idea of like, oh my God, I'm losing part of me. You're actually growing and it's fine. Everyone's growing in different ways. Another thing that people get wrong about so many people, so first of all, I don't know if this is the right podcast to talk about this, so I'm going to just say this very briefly, but disabled people have sex. Okay?

Lily:

Oh yeah, this is the right podcast! Oh, we love to talk about these things. We are real humans!

Lachi:

Your girl gets it in. If you don't think that disabled people have sex, I must not be disabled. And then also just this idea of boxes that we place ourselves in. The term I believe is called heuristics. So heuristics is when we make quick categorizations of things so that we can quickly acclimate. You walk into a room, you think door wall, don't walk into a chair and you put things in categories. You think older person, you think younger person, but that's why we have those heuristics so that we can quickly be able to navigate things, figure out our self-defenses and be safe and whatnot. But we often take this to the extreme of a blind person cannot see, a deaf person cannot hear, but it turns out that most blind people can see. Most blind people can see! Turns out 85% of blind people can see, and I'm one of them, I'm only partially blind.

Most deaf folks are hard of hearing partially deaf, et cetera, et cetera. There are a lot of folks in wheelchairs that are also ambulatory. And so these boxes that we put ourselves in make it very difficult for people who need access to get it due to the stigmas of those boxes. And I think that the best example is using a cane. So a lot of blind people don't want to use their cane, and frankly, a lot of folks who have mobility differences don't want to use their canes as well because of the stigma of weakness that it brings because of the stigma of needing help and assistance that it brings. But at the end of the day, the truth of the matter is, is that your stick, your cane, it actually makes the person independent. It does the opposite of what people think it does.

It doesn't make you weaker, it actually makes you more independent. It also alerts people to the fact that you have a disability, so you don't have to be all awkward in trying to hide it. That's number two. And number three, people with disabilities have to go through so much erasure that I just want to show my stick! Boom! I'm disabled! And so I think that a lot of folks who are legally blind or visually impaired or have low vision that need to use their cane but aren't using it, and they're just kind of going through life to try to figure things out. It's not safe for them, but because of stigmas, this is why they're doing it. And we would've so many more people using the cane if it weren't for stigmas.

Lily:

Yes. Wow. To all of that! I mean, just such a phenomenal group of info for our listeners to hear. I think that that really is some plain old, “everything people know about disability is wrong.” People really do think that, and I especially think that spectrums get completely missed. The nuance of many different spectrums that exist in disability get missed. And I think you're so correct there with that stigma is the thing that's stopping people from using things that would actually give them independence. I think that is so amazing.

Lachi:

Yeah, because you know what? I think for a lot of folks, it's not the fact that they have the disability that makes them have social issues or feel depressed. Honestly, it's the way folks treat them and it's the way folks view a part of their identity that makes folks depressed or have social issues when it comes to disability.

Erin:

And what people fail to realize is that when you become disabled with later in life, you often bring along the ableism that you learned through your entire life. And then to become disabled is scary in your mind. And I feel like you get a lot of support in the disability community to lessen that. And we should definitely, I've been disabled my whole life, so it's very different. But as a community, we should bring in newly disabled people and kind of help them unlearn ableism that they brought with them, which hard, but it's necessary.

Lachi:

It's definitely necessary. A lot of the time ableism is sort of synonymous to trauma. And so a great example is when folks are trying to showcase to people the experience of being blind, they'll have people put on a blindfold or something and then try to eat dinner or try to walk down the street. So I recognize that that would help people be empathetic to the blind experience. But the issue is that it just only introduces them to the trauma of just going blind and trying to navigate the world, not realizing that most folks naturally go into blindness or are born blind, so this is all they know. And so it's not traumatic to walk down the street or eat a meal, but this is what we're presenting to folks. Also, we need to recognize that ableism is much larger than just disability. Ableism intersects with so many different things.

Lachi:

It intersects with gender, it intersects with sexual preference, it intersects with size, it intersects with class. So like a cis straight white male with an amputee have a very different life experience than a transgender woman of color who's also an amputee. While they'll both need the same, I guess, ramp to try to get into the party, it's far less likely that the trans woman of color who's an amputee will even get an invite. So we have to look at these sort of juxtaposed systems of oppression that also affect disability and how they amplify ableism and how people can be more ableist towards people that are multi marginalized than they are towards people who are not multi marginalized.

Lily:

Yes, absolutely. Such a crucial point that intersectionality is so important. I have a friend who is in her kind of discovery of her own neurodivergence, and she's been having to do what we're talking about on learning a lot of ableism, and we were just having a conversation about how ableism is the backbone of many other -isms and -ogynies and just marginalizations – this idea of how productive you can be or how typical you are. It causes a lot of hatred in other groups as well. And I think that that is just so important to point out and see that we have to consider many identities. And it goes back to the beginning of this podcast us talking about how disability is just one part of who we are. Exactly. It's also one part of our intersectionality. We all have many different intersectional identities, and I know I often talk about how my queer identity and autistic identity are so intertwined they could never be separated, and I think that that is just a really important part to talk about. So thank you for bringing that up.

Lachi:

Exactly, exactly. Of course, of course.

Lily:

So I want to talk a little bit about your specific work in DEI work in the music industry, so in one of my favorite interviews of you, you're talking about the emergence of disability culture through music and how we see culture emerge through art forms and how you want to see that in the music industry, especially given the work that you have done with recording artists and music professionals with disabilities. For our listeners who are unfamiliar, can you just tell us a little bit about RAMPD and how it got started?

Lachi:

Sure. So RAMPD started actually in 2021 as an acronym, which I think is our biggest achievement because that's the best acronym. But we worked side by side with the Recording Academy to begin lessening the fact that there was just not a lot of support for artists and professionals in the music industry with disabilities, accessibility needs, et cetera, et cetera. For me personally, I remember going up to different firms and entities and organizations and asking them what they were doing for disability inclusion and accessibility, and they were just like, I don't know, you tell us. So I said, okay. And I kept getting things like, oh, it's you and Stevie Wonder. And so I was like, there's no way. That's it. One of the things somebody had said to me was, you're the first musician or artist I've ever met with a disability apart from knowing Stevie Wonder. And my response was, no, I'm not. I'm just the first one out about it.

And so I wanted to make sure that we build this coalition, or at least this network of recording artists and industry professionals who identify as neurodivergent having a mobile physical sensory disability, chronic conditions, et cetera, that work in the music industry. To answer that question that they consistently had of, well, who would we be doing this for? Where are these disabled musicians? We don't have anyone to service, but it's just because of the fact that folks hadn't come together to build this coalition. So RAMPD came about. We penned our whole thing down in the beginning of 2022. That was when we became official. I founded it. I was joined by Gaelynn Lea and a few others, Stephen Letnes and a few others to really get this thing off the ground. Our first partner was the Grammy Awards, so that's how we kind of soared very quickly.

Our first partner was this global mammoth, but that was just because I was on the inside at the Grammys. It was very easy to turn that into a relationship. However, we got a ton of press, everything from Billboard to Forbes to Hollywood Reporter and New York Times. And then because of all that press and because of that sort of really high level forward facing initial buzz, and because of the really great music professionals and artists that we had right on the onset, people were Googling us, people were coming in, we got overwhelmed very quickly, but we were able to really become a thing. And now a year in what Ramped is as we are a global, are a platform that connects the music and events and entertainment industry to a global network of recording artists and music professionals with Big D disability, deafness, neurodivergence, all of the others.

And we do everything from offering job opportunity visibility and connectivity to our professional membership, to our Affinity network, but also forward facing. We offer inclusive programming, consultation and disability etiquette and accessibility and awareness to the music industry. So we're doing a lot. We've also worked with Netflix, we've done internal conversations with places like Sony Pictures Entertainment. We have done a lot of work with the National Independent Venue Association. We're talking a lot to Music Forward, which is an arm of Live Nation. So we are doing a ton, ton ton, and we have big dreams and big plans, and we're only a year old. We're not up to two years old. I don't know how many two-year-olds have done as much as we have, but we're ready because at the end of the day, I firmly and truly believe that it will be disability culture that explodes the thing, right?

Look, disability rights and disability policy, that's great. It's great at moving the needle and it's great at finger wagging people into doing things, but I don't want finger wags, I want cultural movements. It was hip hop that introduced everyone to black culture globally. It was country music that introduced everyone to rural culture globally. I mean, I was just out in Europe and they were listening to fricking country music. I was like, y'all are listening to country music out here. And that's how they're getting introduced to our culture. So I want to use music to introduce the world to disability culture, and that's what we're have to do.

Lily:

Taking everything in me not to just scream and cheer into this mic! Oh my goodness, incredible! There are so many incredible things about what you just said! I have to point out that the thing that I think is so incredible, going back, you said that you got in with the Grammys quite in your infancy stage at RAMPD because you were already in the room. And I think that needs a second of applause because that is how we change this world, is that when we end up in rooms where it happens, instead of saying, oh, I'm lucky to be here as a disabled person, we say, oh, let's get some more people in here.

Lachi:

Oh you better – see, this is why you can't be inviting Lachi anywhere because once you invite me, you're inviting my whole family. Everybody's coming.

Lily:

Yes!

Lachi:

We're all, and even if you just give us one chair, there's going to be 80 of us sitting in that chair. Just sitting on each other's laps, because we're all going to be there.

Lily:

Heck yes. And I think that is a great point about how disability culture is, how we really get people to understand our movement because interconnectedness and to be cheesy and quote your song, but lifting each other up is how we do this. I mean, in the disability community, we're good at that. We're good at bringing each other along and knowing that I'm not going to think that I'm the person breaking the glass ceiling and leave behind the people that helped me get there. I think that that is so incredible and just congratulations on how successful RAMPD has been, and thank you for using the seat you had at the table to bring more of us in.

Lachi:

Amen. Amen. I mean, it's passion and purpose. At the end of the day, I love what I do. I don't wake up and go like, oh my God, this sucks. I got to do this again. I love what I'm doing and I think it is because I recognize the need and I have the means. So why not put it together and allow everybody else to win and leave not only that legacy behind, but it's a legacy builder and to be able to make those connections. I remember earlier on, so one of my greatest mentors was and is still Judy Heumann, and I had the pleasure of knowing her and being one of her 2:00 AM phone calls every once in a while, and she would call me and give me advice and say, stand up for what's right and stop backing down and stop doing this. And I would say, “stop calling me at 2:00 AM!” [laughing]

But honestly, it was through her that I learned that connectivity is key. Connecting people is the actual activism, it's the actual work because when we look at the word marginalized and we look at the word exclusion, it is that there is a center and we are all on the rim and we are not connected. We are the ones not connected. And so it's this idea of breaking down these silos and breaking down this sentiment of silo. There's a sentiment that goes around in any historically excluded community. It started with women, right? With the whole, there can only be one woman in the CEO table. That whole thing and starting to realize, well, why is that? Why can't we just have a whole circle of women? That was the beginning of the breaking down of the whole patriarchy, which we're not here to get into all of that. But the point is, is that this whole idea that there's only one opportunity for this one disabled person, so everybody's got to go grab it and try to pull down the others and the whole crabs in a bucket theory, the truth of the matter is there are as many opportunities as there are ideas, and it's all about figuring out how you can get what you need and then pulling others up so that they can help progress this thing that you did.

Judy gave me a lot of opportunities and I was actually able to turn around and give her opportunities. That's what this is. You don't want to just be the only one that comes up and then you're fending for yourself and you have no community. You don't have an army when you're by yourself. If you can lift everybody else up and you make that army, then guess what? Now you have people that can help you be a part of their army. You start getting opportunities from them, and it's the seesaw of awkwardness. That is what lifting each other up is.

Erin:

Totally. And read saw that in the sit-ins and the protests during the ADA passage, how everyone came together as a community to make this big change. It wasn't about individualism, it was about being together. I think today with not to be negative, but today there's social media and there's a lot of individualism. I see a lot of focus on me, focus on what I'm doing, but what you're doing is building communities and that's what we need. We have to do that to make change.

Lachi:

Well, one thing I will say is that social media is already just in and of itself a very focus on me type of entity, whether it's in disability, whether it's in whatever. It's a very, here is my platform, everybody listen to it. I have to say, don't know why I went English right there, but it's alright. I feel that social media is a tough one because at the end of the day, social media is such a great vehicle for community and for building change and for building vehicles. And we see some of sometimes, but I think a lot of it is honestly the system and the way the institutions are built really try to make everyone want to compete. And the minute folks start to collaborate, it's so easy to just go beyond the system very quickly. The minute your eyes kind of go, oh, I can actually co-create with these people and make something larger than the limited system that I've been navigating in and begin to have that, what's the word? The opposite of scarcity, abundance mindset. There it is. Begin to have that abundance mindset and recognize that there is unlimited opportunity, unlimited funding, unlimited love, that we begin to really start making change.

Lily:

Yes, absolutely. And Erin, I'm glad you brought up the point about the sit-ins and we're talking about communities. When you build a beautiful community of your own kind of community members, then full on communities can show up for one another. I think about the section 504 sit-ins and how the Black Panthers showed up with medication and food and things that allowed the disability rights activists to continue and make the laws that shape disability society today. So I think that that is so crucial, this showing up for one another. And you bring up mother Judy Heumann who truly I think embodied that communal sense and that idea you said of there's as many opportunities as there are ideas. I think that that is so true, and we see that Erin and I with our work at Easterseals, there's Easterseals all over the country and we see this kind of, when we come together, these networks are incredible.

Lily:

And I mean just even the people that we've met through the Disability Film Challenge, which is Easterseals Southern California, and I feel like each of our affiliates have different programs that they're working on, and you just start to realize, wow, this is a community. And going back, you said the thing about with ramped how you wanted to create the groups that people thought didn't exist, like, well, who is this for? You wanted to show this is who it's for. I mean, one in four people are disabled, but that is a thing that you hear often of like, well, why would I do this? Who's the consumer audience of this? And I think that that is really important to bring up that it's important for us to be communities to mobilize and to make our voice heard together because there's a lot of us and we really can lift each other up.

Lachi:

And that one in four statistic is a pre-COVID stat, so we don't even really know. There's a lot of long-COVID. In fact, one in four people that get COVID get long-COVID.

Speaking of one in four. So there is a lot. And then we don't really talk about sensory disability apparently. I think it's one in six Americans have a sensory disability, and a lot of that is not talked about. There's a lot of diversity, not in terms of intersectionality, but in terms of disability that a lot of folks don't talk about because of the non-visible disability. So why we are not talking about it is beyond me. The only thing I can think of is the fact that we operate in this sort of currency of shame, right? Oh yeah.

Lachi:

And we need to break out of that currency because at the end of the day, like I said, I owe my success to, how do I put this? People used to tell me, or they still do, which is super annoying, that I'm brave, that I'm courageous, that I have superpowers. I'm going to tell you right now, I don't have any supernatural powers. What I have is natural, okay? It's not supernatural. I'm not an oracle, okay? Just because I'm blind, what I have is something better than bravery and better than courage, what I have is identity pride. What I have is that no one can make me feel ashamed about my disability, and that is what draws people to me. That is what draws people to what I have and who I am. Because that's the one hump that society just can't get over this shame or this fear of eventually becoming disabled or this fear that they're going to look weak or this trauma porn of oh my God, or whatever. But yet they still walk up to someone and say, oh, you're so brave and inspiring, while meanwhile, they would absolutely hate it if that was said to them. And so I believe that we're trapped in this idea of shame, and really the only way to crack it is through culture.

Lily:

What a soundbite. Absolutely. I mean, shame is, I always say, it's just such a useless emotion. I can't stand shame. It keeps us down. And I think that I've never thought of culture as the antidote to shame, but it really is because I think about parts of my, I'm half Indian and things that my Indian family might do that I might be like, oh, that's odd. But then it's like, no, this is our culture, so I'm proud of it. And that, oh, that pride is wonderful. I'm glad you bring that up.

Lachi:

Yeah, yeah. I mean there's a saying by Laura Hershey who passed away in, I think it had huge disability activist and artist. And she says, it's not, you aren't the one who caused you to be ashamed, but you can be the one who causes you to feel so shame is brought onto you, told ashamed, but you have the power to feel pride and to knock down that barrier of shame. What shame is for people with disabilities is internalized ableism. And the real way to really break down a lot of those internalized ableism is to start showcasing people, disability, cultural pride, showcasing the problem solving skills, showcasing the creative thinking, showcasing the innovativeness, showcasing the resilience, showcasing so many of the things that come with being a born innovator, which is what you are if you're a person with a disability or an eventual innovator, if you become someone with a disability showcasing those, and I say this, I constantly cite the fact that in Brazil when we had the Paralympics in Brazil in 2016, there was an increase in those who registered for having a disability because they got to watch themselves winning. They got to watch themselves jumping over whatever you do in the Olympics, I dunno, swimming, whatever, doing amazing feats in sports and in other really hardcore adventurous activities. And they actually went and registered and said, you know what? I have a disability too, because they were showcased pride in their disability culture.

Lily:

Oh, that's such, I'm so glad you shared that. I didn't know that. That is really, really cool. And I think goes back to what you said on that, the one in four statistic is probably outdated at this point. One thing that I think about a lot is there seems to be kind of stark lines drawn between, I have a mental illness, I have a chronic illness, versus I have a disability. And I think that as more people are talking about chronic illness and mental illness and realizing these are disabilities and accommodations need to be made and that the disability community is something that you can have pride in and it's a great community to be a part of. I think that the more we allow people to understand that the more people with things like mental illness and chronic illness will allow themselves to receive necessary accommodation and accept that disabled identity.

I think that such an interesting point about the Brazil Paralympics. I think that that is honestly what we're trying to do with this podcast in a way, say, look at this. We get to have these amazingly cool conversations. I get to meet incredible recording artists and just incredible people all around. And guess what? I wouldn't do that. I would not have this amazing experience if it weren't for the disability community. And I'm proud to be a part of it. And if there's anyone listening who's feeling like, I think I might be disabled, but I don't want to take up the space, we want you.

Lachi:

We've got space for you. Space is infinite, go outside and look at the night. Sky space is infinite. Also, language is very important as well. Owning our language that we want to use or want to get behind. And when I think of things like people wanting to say chronic illness versus disability or mental illness versus disability, that's when I start to recognize that they're not necessarily part of the community yet. Because if you already don't like the word disability and you're afraid of the word disability, why are you okay with the word illness? So start for year and ear figuring your ish out. And that might be a personal journey, but one thing that I do know is that people in the disability community are 100% fine with the word disability and fine with the word disabled. And things like words like differently abled are huge.

No-nos, like handicap, handy capable, all of that stuff is just absolute garbage. So just like once you join the community, you won't have to say that anymore. And it's so freeing, wheelchair bound, you're not wheelchair bound. Your wheelchair is your tool to be independent, not your bounding thing. And so I feel that language can be empowering. And for me, I like the word disability because people think of the prefix diss as a negative word. It just means opposite of ability. But at the end of the day, diss actually means to set apart. And I believe that my disability sets me apart. I mean, boo, I'm proud of it. It makes me resilient. It makes me be able to navigate life on hard. You ever play those video games and you're playing it on the hardest setting and you win and people are playing it on easy and they're losing and you're like, well, I just beat this on the hardest level, so I obviously I'm the shit.

So that's life in disability. Why wouldn't you want to be proud of? You know what? Look, if I'm going to race with a bunch of other people and everybody starts 10 feet ahead of me and I still freaking hit the finish line before they do, that's the best feeling in the world. Why wouldn't you want to be that one who wins that life on hard? So come join it. The water is fine, disability is fine, disabled is fine. Let's get over it. Everybody's like, oh, but I'm this and I'm that. If you are afraid of the word disability, I feel like that, okay, this might be a little controversial, but people who are like, oh, I'm so cool and I'm so hip and I don't want to say disabled, well then you're not really that cool in that hip because you're afraid of a word. Get cooler and hipper. Honestly, I'll have more respect for you if you're not afraid of a label, but if you're so afraid of this label, then you're really not All the things you're trying to pretend you're because you're the one afraid.

Lily:

Yeah, absolutely.

Lachi:

Get riled up, guys!

Lily:

I love it. That's what we want on this podcast. We're riled up. It's important. These things are important. And I think everything you said about language is important. Well, I do want to hit on mother Judy Heumann a little bit more. Anytime I hear anyone using mother to describe a celebrity, I'm like, my mother is Judy.

Lily:

She's mother of the Disability Rights Movement. And for me, disability pride, Judy led me to feel pride. And one of the first tasks I got to work on working at Easterseals was writing a children's book about Judy Heumann. And I just got to know so much about her and I have so much I always want to say about Judy. And so, for our listeners who don't know, you wrote an incredible song called Lift Me Up, which pays tribute to Judy Heumann. And there's a lyric in that song where you said, see who I need to be for the world I wanted to see. And I think that that is so beautiful because that's what Judy did for me, was I learned about her and then saw, oh, this fight is worth it and we can do it. She did so much in her single lifetime because she wanted to make the world she wanted to see. So I just love that song. I mean, even if it wasn't about Judy Heumann, it's an absolute bop. So what made you decide to write that song? What was that experience like?

Lachi:

Yeah, this is one of my favorite things to talk about. So listen, I'm a touring artist outside of disability. I am a globally touring artist. I've worked with a bunch of really big and great names. I've been released by a bunch of labels and music is how I expressed myself. It's how I've always really expressed really big things in my life, and it's how I expressed my disability and came into my own pride. Judy Huon was someone who I had met many others. I met Judy Huon, trashed watching Comedy Central's, drunken History, and I realized the mentor that I'd been meeting desperately was right there on that screen. And it was like a big surprise to me when she actually reached out and told me she was a fan. I was like, you mean you the one from the TV? Like, whoa. So that was a huge thing for me. We became huge friends. We were just badasses just doing what we had to do, calling each other up all the time. And when she passed away, it was really a shock because I had only spoken to her a few days earlier and she was yelling at me about something or another.

And of course she was actually hooking me up with somebody. She often made me sing to her friends. She would just put me on speaker. I was her singer friend. She'd make me sing to people. It was just really embarrassing for everyone involved. But she was such a huge part of my life when she passed away, it was a big blow. So with everything else, I coped by writing. I was sitting at the keys, the tears were coming, the song was coming. A good friend of mine, James Ian, who was also a mentee of Judy's and who was also very close, she'd make us call each other and sing to each other. It was really awkward. We decided to write together, and that's how the beginnings of the song came about. He too is a RAMPD member so that anyone who's a RAMPD member is an established music professional with a disability.

Lachi:

So that's already kind of baked in. Gaelynn Lea, who's a violinist wheelchair user, she jumped on board. April Gabrielli also a RAMPD member, jumped on board to the song write. She was like, I love what you guys are doing, but it's just your feelings on a page. Can we make this a song? So she helped us songwrite, […]who's a mastering engineer who's worked with Sony, came into mix and master and we started as the community. Everybody was a part of RAMPD. As the community came together to make this song, we realized it was larger than a song larger than us, and it was coming together very fast. And we quickly realized that we wanted to put this out in July because of the big 50 years of the Rehabilitation Act celebration. It would be a great homage to Judy and it would help bring the community together. Somebody was like, let's make a music video. So of course, we bring in Day Al-Mohamed who is a blind video producer, and she and I worked on a bunch of the PBS stuff together. So she had just was leaving the White House and I jumped in front of her while she was leaving the White House and said, boy, do I have your first project. We get her on board, we get Catriona Rubenis-Stevens who I actually met through the Easterseals Film Challenge. And so Cat has done a bunch of stuff with Easterseals and I loved her as a director. So I threw those two into a room and said “direct!” And I'd always wanted this sort of idea of deaf folks in front, or I'm sorry, just a ASL in front and then us in the back. And so I was saying, let's have us in a small box in the corner while the performers, and they were like no boxes in corners.

And so we were projected behind our authentically deaf and hard of hearing superstar cast. I can't believe we got everybody. We got like Amber Galloway, are you kidding me? She and I have been good friends for a while. Otis Jones, who I had met through the process, he's a huge TikTok star who I'm now obsessed with and in love with. I hope he doesn't watch this and hear that. And then Arnell Russell, who is also a TikTok influencer and Instagram influencer who is an absolute superstar, all of them came together to be our amazing center stage authentically deaf and H-O-H ASL performers. While James, Ian, Gaelynn, and I were projected behind them, we had a completely diverse everything from LGBTQIA to native to BIPOC, to all sorts of situations running the crew. It was such a beautiful thing. I don't know how we got this all done. The amount of time we got it done, we released it through RAMPD Records, which is black-owned and black run, and we had it out in time to celebrate, and it just got picked up by everybody.

I mean BET loved it. MTV loved it. We got on the radio, we peaked at number 29 on the radio, like what? In the adult contemporary charts, the Christian charts picked it up and the YouTube blew up. Google got wind of it and was like, we want to be a part of this. We'll do whatever you want. Just tell us. And we were like, “you're Google! AH!” So it was just the most amazing experience and it all was out of love. I mean, Judy's hand was all over the whole thing. She was telling all of us to come together. She was marionetting us like all of her little children and it worked out because of Judy's legacy and Judy's love. And one of the criticisms that I got from this whole thing was Judy, she's very much into just the disability rights movement and the laws and the legalese, and of course I'm trying to celebrate disability culture and disability justice. And so folks were going like, why are you attributing a disability culture song to Judy Human? Also, Judy Heumann, let's all be frank, is a white woman who was of an okay class and my only comeback is that look, Judy was my actual honest mentor. She took me under her wing and she did a lot. But at the end of the day, the music video showcased so much diversity within the community. We had audio description done by Tony-winner Ali Stroker right at the top, who actually played her in that Drunk History video. Full circle. We had multiracial ASL interpretation. We also had transcription in the Google YouTube video. We had all of us in the background. We had a very diverse cast and crew. And so we did as much as we could to not only make the video truly accessible, but also to make sure the cast and crew below the line and above the line were folks with diversity and disability.

Lily:

So amazing. I thank you for sharing all of that. I just adore Judy and I wrote the children's book and I was supposed to get to meet Judy in last spring and then she passed right before that happened. And I felt like I missed an opportunity to really meet one of the greats in our community. But since her passing, I have really seen how you can't actually miss the chance to connect with Judy Human if you're looking for it. Her legacy lives on in so many people, and I think that you, especially the work you're doing, you are talking the talk and walking the walk by you are a true community builder. I literally have a tattoo that says “Do Not Panic, Organize” because –

Lachi:

I like that.

Lily:

Because I think it's the truth. I think community building is how we change the world, and I think you are doing that. So I'm honored for you to be on this podcast. I'm sure Erin's feeling the same way.

Lachi:

Thank you both for having me. This has been quite the experience and I always just love to talk about these things. So thank you so much for inviting me on here.

Erin:

I'm so happy that you joined us and this conversation means a lot to me. So thank you so much.

Lachi:

Thank you so much. And also, well, before we close up shop, there is one thing I would be absolutely remiss if I did not say and if I did not shamelessly plug myself. Absolutely. So we just recently got a book deal with Penguin Publishing. We got this book deal through an imprint called Tiny Reparations by Phoebe Robinson, who is this really amazing queer black comedian slash actress and writer who likes to amplify black and black female voices. The name of the book is “I Identify As Blind,” and what I'll be writing about is really cultural criticism on disability identity and disability narratives currently within pop culture that are not highlighted and just need to be highlighted a little bit more. So I'm really excited to write that book that'll eventually come out in 2025 and it will be star studded. We are going to go all the way out and really showcase disability identity and disability culture in this book. So definitely wanted to just celebrate that that's going to be coming out. And frankly, I think this is the first actual platform where I'm talking about this. So you heard it here, folks. I identify as blind coming out in 2025.

Lily:

Oh, yay. What an honor to get to share this news with the world. I'm so excited. My podcasting setup behind me, I have a bunch of books that have really shaped who I am in my disability activism, and I cannot wait In 2025, there will be a copy of “I Identify As Blind” on there.

Erin:

Awesome. My friend Anna, we're definitely going to feature your book when it comes out. I'm so excited.

Lachi:

I'm going to hold you to that, both of you. Yeah. Do it. Oh, you better. A big part of this community building is accountability.

Lily:

I promise we'll do it. Well, thank you so much. What a phenomenal interview. I feel overjoyed that we get to share this with the world. I think that there are a lot of nuggets of wisdom throughout this episode that are going to change people's perception of disability and also this was just a really cool hour to get to spend talking to someone I respect and think is just so wonderful. So thank you so, so much.

Lachi:

Thank you.

Lily:

Thank you so much. And thanks to our listeners for another wonderful episode of Everything You Know about Disability is Wrong. What a great episode.

Erin:

Yeah, I totally loved it. I love her. She's like the best person and I'm so happy that we got to connect with all these amazing people this season. It's the best.

Lily:

Yeah, what an incredible lineup. And it was a total accident that our lineup this season is entirely women. But I think it's really cool and I just love having such great perspectives from disabled women. We don't have that much representation of disabled women and happy to be doing it on here. If you haven't listened to Lachi's music, especially that Lift Me Up song that we were referencing, the song she wrote for Judy Heumann, that song is incredible. And also just all of her music is really cool. She also has just been announced as a mentor at the Grammys. Just really cool stuff going on in Lachi's life. I recommend that our listeners go follow her on every social media. And yeah, thanks Lachi for coming on. What a wonderful episode.

Erin:

And that was a great episode and we're really excited for season three of the podcast.

Lily:

Season three. I can't believe it's already here. We'll see you next season listeners. Thanks for tuning in and if you happen to just listen to this episode, go back, listen to the rest. We've got two seasons worth of content out and we hope you enjoy listening. We'll see you next time on Everything You Know About Disability is Wrong.

Erin:

If you like what you heard, go ahead and subscribe and leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts.

Lily:

Thank you to our listeners, and as always, thank you to Easterseals for giving us the space and resources to share such authentic conversations from within the disability community to our listeners.

Erin:

And I'll see you next time for another episode of Everything You Know about Disability is Wrong.