Our Story
A Practice Built From the Gap No One Was Filling
LaVant Consulting was founded in response to a clear gap: many organizations knew disability mattered but didn’t know how to talk about it or where to start. They wanted to get access right. They just didn’t know how.
That gap is where our work lives. Access, as we practice it, isn’t a compliance exercise. It’s the intentional practice of shaping experiences, spaces, and systems so every person can participate fully and without barriers. That understanding comes directly from disability experience. It isn’t borrowed from a checklist or a credential. It’s the foundation this firm was built on.
Image description: A woman presents to a small group in a bright, modern office setting. She stands confidently in front of a screen displaying a branded slide, wearing a light blue blouse and white skirt.
Our Mission
What We Believe
Five Things We Hold to Be True
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Access is not a checklist. It is the intentional practice of shaping experiences, spaces, and systems so every person can participate fully and without barriers.
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Compliance is a milestone, never the destination. Best-in-class is the goal.
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The most credible expertise is rooted in lived experience, not borrowed from a credential.
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Inclusion, accessibility, and authentic representation are best designed by, with, and for disabled people. There is no other way to do this work well.
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When access is missing, people notice. They notice who thought about them and who did not.
Our Founder
Andraéa LaVant
Founder and President
Andraéa LaVant is a Black disabled woman, cultural strategist, and one of the most recognized voices in disability-centered consulting.
Her practice was built from a lifetime of navigating the same barriers her clients are trying to remove.
With more than two decades in the field, Andraéa has worked across film, fashion, media, and civic life. Her writing has appeared in Wake Up America (W.W. Norton), a collection on the future of democracy. Her work and voice have been featured in Essence, Good Morning America, NBC, The Root, and PAPER Magazine, among others.
Andraéa served as Impact Producer of Netflix’s Oscar-nominated Crip Camp, leading the LaVant Consulting team through the film’s global impact campaign. The film was executive produced by President Barack and Mrs. Michelle Obama.
Image description: Andraéa LaVant, a Black woman seated in a power wheelchair wearing a vibrant green blazer, sits at her desk and smiles at the camera. On her desk is a framed photo of her service dog Goji, a 90s Black sitcoms themed mug, and a closed notebook.
"The most common barrier we face is fear. Most companies do not avoid addressing disability because they do not want to. They avoid it because they are too scared to get it wrong."
Image description: Andraéa LaVant, a Black woman with straight black hair and curled ends wearing a gold turban, a stack of large gold necklaces, and purple transparent angular glasses. She’s outside in her powerchair looking at the camera smiling.
Our People
We Bring More
Than Credentials
We’re a Black women-led organization. Our team brings together diverse professional backgrounds in communications, nonprofit leadership, education, and policy, equipping us to translate access and inclusion across industries. That depth is also what makes us effective partners.
We show up alongside our clients as a trusted extension of their team, available for regular check-ins, real-time questions, and long-term planning for as long as the work demands it.
Image description: Jamie Terry gesticulates as she is speaking to a person off camera. Andraéa LaVant is next to her, watching her speak with an open smile on her face. Behind them, a conference table has a box of fidget toys, a laptop, and a box of water bottles.
Our Values
The Principles That Drive Us
Passion
Our work is more than a job – it’s a calling. Our lived experiences and shared purpose fuel our commitment to creating lasting change.
Community
We draw from community wisdom, earn trust through accountability, and design solutions by, with, and for disabled people.
Innovation
Through a process of creative collaboration, we design unique solutions that bring depth, clarity, and credibility to complex problems.
Mutual Respect
Rooted in care and understanding, we value the humanity, dignity, and expertise of others.
