Helen Keller was born 27 June 1880 in Tuscumbia, Colbert, Alabama, United States. She became ill with an unknown illness described as "spinal meningitis" at the age of 19 months, which left her both deaf and blind.
With the help of her teacher Anne Sullivan, who taught her how to communicate using tactile sign language, Keller learned to read, write, and even speak English fluently and attended Radcliffe College, graduating cum laude in 1904.
Keller was a lifelong advocate for disability rights and challenged perceptions of deaf-blind people. She worked to educate the public about deafness and blindness through stories of her life and experiences.
Keller travelled all over the U.S.A. and made several international trips to highlight the capabilities and potential of deaf-blind people. She gave many inspirational speeches and lectures on her life experiences.
She lobbied for improved access to education for deaf-blind children. Thanks to her advocacy, programs were established across the U.S.A. to teach students using methods similar to those that Anne Sullivan taught her.
Keller helped establish workshops for deaf-blind people to learn daily living and vocational skills, challenging the notion they could not work or contribute. This helped increase employment opportunities.
She wrote an autobiography called "The Story of My Life" in 1903 to share her story with a wide audience. The book was a huge success and helped spread understanding of blindness/deafness issues. Here are a few quotes from that book that stand out:
— "My world is bounded by all senses except that of sight."
— "To me, beauty itself consists in clarity, order and harmony."
— "It is impossible for me to think without judging or reasoning, therefore I develop images of all that comes within the range of my experience, whether by the sense of touch, the movements of my fingers, or my muscular sense."
— "The appeal of nature is always infinitely sweet to me, and the scent of spring flowers even more delightful than their color. Their unfolding leaves seem as sensitive as hands, and their turning to the light as real as sight."
Along with Sullivan, Keller travelled to attend conferences on deafness and literacy education to share the best teaching practices and lessons they discovered together. Sullivan and Keller co-founded the Helen Keller International organization which works to combat the causes and effects of blindness and malnutrition worldwide.
Keller fought tirelessly against discrimination by raising awareness of deaf-blind capabilities. She said "the most pathetic person in the world is one who has sight but has no vision."
She authored 12 published books* and was friends with important historical figures like Mark Twain and Alexander Graham Bell.
Helen Keller's friendship with legendary American author Mark Twain was quite remarkable. Keller first met Twain in 1894 when she was 14 years old, and she was immediately intrigued by his wit and humour despite being unable to see him or hear his voice. Twain was fascinated by Keller's intelligence, curiosity, and ability to converse fluidly despite her disabilities. He called her a "little girl with a mighty mind."
The two developed a close friendship and would correspond frequently by letter in the following years. Twain acted as a mentor to Keller and offered advice/guidance. Both enjoyed lively conversations on literature, culture, philosophy and politics. By sharing Twain's writings with her, Anne Sullivan introduced Keller to American idioms and ways of thinking.
Sadly, when Twain lost his own daughter and experienced financial troubles late in life, the stress took a toll on his health. But he and Keller remained close. Their intergenerational bond demonstrated the power of compassion and friendship to overcome limitations and bring people together. Keller greatly admired Twain's work throughout her life.
Keller first met Alexander Graham Bell in 1887, when he was working to develop methods to teach the deaf how to communicate. He was impressed by her potential. Bell advocated for Keller to receive further education after she learned the language as a young child. He helped enrolled her in the Perkins Institute for the Blind.
Keller regarded Bell as a brilliant mentor who gave her confidence in her abilities. He encouraged her to follow her dreams of going to college. Through their regular meetings, Bell tutored Keller in physics, mechanics and inventions. She credited his teachings for sparking her life-long curiosity in science.
Bell saw Keller as like family. He lent financial support so she could attend college at Radcliffe, and came to her graduation ceremony. They maintained a correspondence filled with discussions of their work. Bell felt Keller demonstrated what people with disabilities could achieve with opportunities. This cross-generational bond of friendship and mentorship played a role in shaping both their lives and advocacy for improving communication methods.
She never married or had children. Keller remained an advocate and inspiration for disabled people until she died on 1 June 1968 at Easton, Fairfield, Connecticut, United States. She was buried on 5 June 1968 at Washington National Cathedral, Washington, District of Columbia, United States.
*Books:
1. The Story of My Life (1903) - Her first autobiography, which became an international bestseller.
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| Best Selling book Amazon.co.uk |
2. The World I Live In (1908) - A series of essays describing her perceptions of nature, art, social justice and more without sight or hearing. BUY this book on Amazon
3. Midstream: My Later Life (1929) - A sequel autobiography recounting her later life experiences as an activist and public figure. BUY this book on Amazon
4. Helen Keller's Journal (1938) - A compilation of diary entries over several decades discussing her spiritual beliefs and political views. BUY this book on Amazon
5. Teacher (1943) - A biography honoring the pivotal role of her teacher Anne Sullivan in her life and education. BUY this book on Amazon
6. Let Us Have Faith (1940) - Essays exploring faith, philosophy and perception of the world beyond the physical senses. BUY this book on Amazon
7. Peace at Eventide (1957) - Reflections on ageing, inspiration and spirituality later in life.
8. The Open Door (1957) - Counsel on overcoming prejudice and pursuing equality for all people. BUY on Amazon
9. My Religion (1927) - Essays sharing her transcendentalist views on connecting with God and spirituality.
10. Optimism (1903) - Essays advocating for optimism as a philosophy to face life challenges.
11. The Story of My Life (1954) - A revised autobiography with additional perspective late in life.
12. Light in my Darkness (1977) - A collection of letters Keller wrote over many decades.
My Relationship to Helen Keller
It was brought to my attention through Family Search that Helen Keller was a 13th cousin of mine. My relationship to Helen Keller is taken from familysearch.org on 27 December 2023:
13th cousins are quite distant...!
By the time you get to the 5th cousin level, genealogists estimate the average person potentially has over 1 million cousins in that group if considering historical populations. Rules of thumb suggest that on average, if you go back an extra generation in distance (from 5th cousins to 6th cousins for example), you might expect to double or triple the pool of cousins. So, to get to 13th there's going to be a considerable population .. !
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