Inspiring Person

Helen Keller

Helen Adams Keller

Born: June 27th, 1880 Tuscumbia, Alabama

Died: June 1st, 1968 (age 87) Easton, Connecticut

Job: Writer, Activist, Lecturer

She was born normally in Tuscumbia, Alabama in 1880. At the age of 19 months, she was attacked by a disease that caused her to be blind and deaf. She becomes frustrated by the difficulty of communicating, often angry, and difficult to teach. At the age of 7, her parents trusted Anne Sullivan to become Hellen's personal tutor and mentor. Anne holds Helen's hand underwater and with sign language, she says "W-A-T-E-R" on the other hand. When Helen holds the ground, Annie says "G-R-O-U-N-D" and this is done 30 words per day. Helen was taught to read through Braille until she understood what the mean. Helen writes, "I remember the most important day in my whole life when my teacher, Anne Mansfield Sullivan, came to me." Diligently, Annie taught Helen to speak through her mouth, so Helen said, "The best and most beautiful thing that the world does not see or touch is a thing felt in the heart." He studied French, German, Greek and Latin through Braille. At the age of 20, he attended Radcliffe College, a Harvard University branch for women. Annie accompanied Hellen to read a textbook, letter by letter through Helen's hand in Braille. Only 4 years old, Helen graduated with magna cum laude. He was the first deaf and blind person to graduate from university.

In 1914, Helen Keller traveled the United States to become an activist, counselor, and lecturer especially for children who have limitations such as himself. Accompanied by Anne Sullivan, he also visited soldiers around Europe who were involved in World War II.

In 1923, Helen became the spokesperson for the American Foundation for the Blind and took care of fundraising, as well as developing a better educational system for people with physical limitations. When Anne Sullivan died in 1936, Helen continued her work accompanied by Polly Thomson, Helen's secretary and friend.

I think she's very cool. Although she had to live with the disability she's still struggling.

"I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. I will not refuse to do something I can do" -Helen Keller