RAMPD, the acronym for the organization Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities, “works to amplify disability culture and advocate for accessibility in the music business.” The initiative was founded in May 2021 by the musician Lachi and singer-songwriter and violinist Gaelyn Lea, together with about a dozen founding members. Lachi, who is blind, stated that “’I founded RAMPD to kill that silence and to amplify disabled voices, as a service to the music industry, because the next generation absolutely deserves it.’” The coalition aims to make disability inclusion and access an actuality within the mainstream music industry, to address and remedy the lack of “visibility, access, and representation” for professional music artists with disabilities. Awards shows are a particular focus. The work of Lachi and RAMPD has already had an impact on the industry, notably at the 2022 Grammy Awards telecast in April. That event included a number of first-time accessibility features, based on the work of RAMPD and other accessibility advocates, such as a built-in ramp, ASL interpreters, and live audio description and captioning. To learn more about their work or to join the initiative, visit the website for RAMPD Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities. For details on the Grammy Awards and accessibility, read the article in Forbes: How The Grammys Got Accessibility Right, And What They Could Have Done Better – An Interview With Lachi. More information on RAMPD and its launch are available in an article in The New York Times: A New Coalition Amplifies Disability Culture in the Music Industry and one in The Hollywood Reporter: RAMPD Is on a Mission to Make the Music Industry’s Events and Award Shows Accessible.
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