Born with a severely profound hearing loss, and outfitted with hearing aids at 2 years old, it became apparent at an early age that life would be anything but ordinary for Matthew Maxey who founded DEAFinitely Dope in 2014. DEAFinitely Dope started as an idea based on providing support to those that felt marginalized and ignored by mainstream America and slowly blossomed into a movement, attracting the likes of educational institutions nationwide, CNN, ESPN, GQ, ABC news, Chance The Rapper, and countless more! With both hearing and deaf partnerships in play, Matt strives to continue to break barriers and defy the norms with a fresh perspective on interaction, inclusion, accessibility, and equality, as awareness continues to grow! Born with a severely profound hearing loss, and outfitted with hearing aids at 2 years old, it became apparent at an early age that life would be anything but ordinary for Matthew Maxey who founded DEAFinitely Dope in 2014. DEAFinitely Dope started as an idea based on providing support to those that felt marginalized and ignored by mainstream America and slowly blossomed into a movement, attracting the likes of educational institutions nationwide, CNN, ESPN, GQ, ABC news, Chance The Rapper, and countless more! With both hearing and deaf partnerships in play, Matt strives to continue to break barriers and defy the norms with a fresh perspective on interaction, inclusion, accessibility, and equality, as awareness continues to grow!“Too hearing for the deaf world and too deaf for the hearing world, but a true community loves you regardless of your ability.” This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx