Diversity Rules Magazine

21 Diversity Rules Magazine August 2019 joining the gig economy. With micro-skills such as wri ng ad copy, photoshop edi ng, virtual assis ng, people are making livings without leaving the house or interac ng with other humans beyond a few messages. Sites like UpWork or even Fiverr allow you to post your skills on their sites and find clients. SoundBe er is a great marketplace for experienced musicians to acquire independent projects." For Lachi, being an entrepreneur means she has to be constantly networking. And with just one par- ally seeing eye, mee ng people at events o en presents barriers. "Well," said the LGBTQ ally, "being blind makes net- working quite the endeavor. I'm on a constant split- test of how best to shock people into engaging with me. Learning and naviga ng new loca ons is always a thing, namely because I've go a figure things out super fast and somewhat fur vely. People have no idea that most of the simple tasks I do in new loca- ons (i.e. si ng in a chair, opening a door, shaking a hand) is about 60% based on intui ons and deduc- ons, not on actual physical knowledge." "People some mes," con nued Lachi, "assume I'm aloof because I don't wave back, or approach, or make direct eye-contact, or acknowledge social cues altogether. People also render me a bit pushy, because I o en have to really focus on the situa on at hand to comprehend it. Failing to see and need- ing to work hard to focus are both physical traits -- resul ng from my disability -- that have seeped into the macrocosm of my personality. But once I can see you, and even when I can't, I'm super social." Lachi's determina on has made her an ar st to watch out for. Her recent release "Fire" debuted on interna onal dance charts, and "Go" hit over one million streams in three months, and hit the Beat- Port Top 100 for EDM / Drum & Bass. She also has a few releases dropping in July and August -- includ- ing a Dub track tled "Unafraid," featuring emerg- ing Milano DJ duo RIOHTZ. Lachi represents a small sec on of the disabil- ity community that is employed. As the Melwood study pointed out, and as we have learned through mee ng Lachi, the disability community has many crea ve and hardworking individuals that would be an asset to any organiza on. Improving the work par cipa on of people with disabili es can seem like a huge undertaking; however, it is an issue that anyone can support in several different ways. If you are a supervisor or work in human resources, you can talk to the leadership in your company to see about star ng a program that recruits from the disability community. Addi onally, employers can establish partnerships with nonprofits that help people with disabili es find work to create hiring events. And if you are one of those people that likes to volunteer, you can reach out to nonprofits and offer to provide interview coaching, or simply help out through any volunteer need the agency may have. For those who may not have much free me to get involved, you can pledge your support for increasing the number of employed people with disabili es by dona ng to the agencies that do work in this space, as well as by buying the goods created by people with disabili es. Also, liking and sharing the social media posts of disability advocates, and the agen- cies that support them, helps them to be seen by more people. To learn more about Melwood, please visit www. melwood.org, and to follow Lachi's work, please visit her at www.lachimusic.com. Advertise Today! Diversity Rules Magazine is an indepen- dent gay press that relies on the support of those who support its mission. Advertising in Diversity Rules Magazine is one of the best ways to support indepen- dent publications. Your advertising support will also help help Diversity Rules spread its messge of respect for diversity and help to empower individuals to look inside them- selves for answers about who they are and what their purpose is in life. www.diversityrulesmagazine.com

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