Ray's Accessible Devices Fund

This post is not my usual Geeky post. It is a call for help for my friend. Ray is a wonderful young lady. She has some needs that she cannot meet herself. She is losing her eyesight and has some special needs. Please check out her Go Fund Me account, Ray’s Accessible Devices Fund.

Below is her post on the Go Fund Me account.

My name is Rachel and at the time of writing this post, I am 26 years old. It is hard for me to get on here and create a fundraiser like this, but my friends say that it is okay to ask for help when you really need it and trust me I do in fact really need your help.

I am legally blind. I have been that way my entire life. To date, I have had 23 corrective eye operations in an attempt to save my vision and give me the best chance possible to not find myself in darkness.

I’ve had many struggles in my life including my lack of vision, but I have always been the kind of person that embraces challenges and loves to show everyone that no matter what hardships life brings, there is always something to smile about.

I put all my energy into everything I do because I do not believe in quitting once a task has been undertaken. To be honest, I have tried my very best to save my limited vision. I’m on some pretty intense medications right now just praying for more time.

Sadly…..I don’t have much left. Nothing I have been trying is working and the time has come for me to face that fact and prepare for the future. I promised myself when the day came that darkness fell on my world I would not let it get the best of me. I won’t lose hope or ever stop trying to bring joy to the world. I do not want to waste the life I have been given. Right now I am on disability, but that isn’t the kind of life that I want for myself. I want to break barriers, shatter down walls and take my message of Kattobingu to the world. I don’t ask for much in life…..I simply want to have a job.

You’d think that would be easy…..It isn’t. Hard working Americans every day struggle to work and support their families and they don’t face the numerous physical challenges I deal with. What do I want to do with my life you may be wondering? Can I really bring joy to the world with a career? I don’t have very lofty goals to be honest. I want a simple life as a secretary.

Yeah, that’s all….. A secretory I love talking with people, and I am organized and keep track of things well. I have been acting as my family secretary for almost two years now. Any one of them will tell you that I am quite good at it. They will tell you how positive I am, and how outgoing I am, and how I just never seem to give up. Truth is though, I am losing my ability to even do the clerical work for my family.. Helping others gives me so much joy and the job I want will allow me to do that.

So, why GoFundMe? I simply need a few tools to help me. That’s where you come in (assuming you have read my little novel here). Assist technology for the blind doesn’t come cheap. Things you might think are basic needs for someone who is blind can often cost hundreds of dollars and more advance things like the sort I am seeking to preform my job at my best cost even more.

Some things I need are:
~A Braille Writer
~ Text to Speech scanner
~ Bar code reader
~ And more

Believe me when I say, these things do not come cheap, but for someone like me who wants to make something of herself in the workforce, they are needed. I just want to be like you, working and bringing smiles to everyone I talk to.

I know it is a lot to ask, but if you can find it in your heart to help me, I promise to make sure I pay it forward and do the best job I possibly can and share kattobingu with the world…..just like I always have.

Thank you for your time and consideration.