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Help Elle get an FM system

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Hello Everyone and welcome to my Go Fund Me. My name is Elle and I am an enthusiastic yogi who loves to rock climb and raise awareness for disability rights.
I am a 27 year old Deaf, Teacher of the Deaf. I teach Deaf and Hard of Hearing Middle School students in Denver, Colorado.
I have a profound hearing loss and I wear a Cochlear Implant (CI) to help me hear. I also love ASL and am fluent in that langauge as well as Spoken English. I do not view being deaf as a bad thing, in fact I love being deaf. But it does come with its challenges. 

One problem I face is being able to participate in any type of public events and or classes, although I can sign interpreters are rarely a possibility for these types of events, and besides I like to hear what the people are saying. However with my current Cochlear Implant when I go to events such as yoga classes or other types of presentations I cannot hear what the instructor is saying. Although I have worked very hard to be comfortable with myself as a deaf person, facing challenges like this for simple things such as yoga classes is incredibly disheartening and just makes me feel beat down and frustrated with myself for something I cannot control. 
In order for me to be able to access what presenters are saying in classes I need what is called an FM system. I have been using one that is currently owned by the school district I work for but I will no longer have access to it. Bummer.
FM's are a really cool system for people who wear hearing devices, they consist of a microphone that the speaker wears that transmits the sounds from the mic directly to a reciever in the person's hearing aid or cochlear implant. 
This is the microphone/ transmitter that the speaker wears

This is what is called the "boot" or the reciever that gets the sound from the mic, this piece plugs into your hearing device

And natually I need this adaptor because making a device that plugs directly into your CI would be too easy... 


Of course these sytems are very expensive and insurance will not help pay for them (I already tried), I have also reached out to Vocational Rehabilitation who is also unable to help, so now I am asking you for help.
You whoever is reading this.
I don't tend to ask for help, EVER. In fact it's one of my greatest weaknesses, but I am putting my own stubborness to the side for now because I need this system to do the things I love and to progress professionally. I want to become a yoga teacher, how can I do that if I can't hear what the teacher is saying during training? 
I want to bring yoga to other deaf and hard of hearing people. To make more access to yoga for people with disabilities, all disabilities, physical, mental and sensory disabilties. Because I know what it's is like to be underestimated and to need someone who understands that disabled people CAN do whatever they want to do. I want to be that person for others. I want to hold that safe space where people of all types of people can feel safe and supported. A place where all kinds of people can come and never feel put in a box for an identity they have. I want to share the magic that yoga has brought to my life. 
These are things that hearing people just automatically get rights to without even thinking about, so I'm asking you to think about how you would feel if you didn't have access to the things you love to do.
If you can help I will be forever grateful to each and every person who donates. Even just a little bit, like a cup of coffee. 
I just want to be able to particpate in things I love. I just want to have the same access as everyone else. I just want to be able to hear what people are saying. I just want to become a yoga teacher.


The amount I am trying to raise is the exact amount I need to get the 3 pieces to the system, no more, no less. 
THANK YOU. From the bottom of my heart.
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Donations 

  • Debra Moe
    • $100 
    • 6 yrs
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Organizer

Elysia Zusi-Russell
Organizer
Wheat Ridge, CO

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