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Helen Keller

Helen Keller: blind and deaf, she graduated from college

Verified facts: 34

Helen Keller

Helen Keller was an American deafblind author, disability rights advocate, political activist and lecturer. She was born on June 27, 1880, in Tuscumbia, Alabama. At 19 months old, she contracted an unknown illness described by doctors as "an acute congestion of the stomach and the brain". She recovered, but was left permanently blind and deaf: as she recalled in her autobiography, "at sea in a dense fog".

Until the age of seven, she communicated mainly through home signs. By then she had more than 60 of them to communicate with her family, and she could distinguish people by the vibration of their footsteps.

In 1886, her mother read in Charles Dickens' American Notes about the successful education of Laura Bridgman, a deaf and blind woman. Inspired, she sent Helen and her father to an eye, ear, nose and throat specialist in Baltimore for advice. He referred them to Alexander Graham Bell, who was working with deaf children at the time, and Bell advised them to contact the Perkins Institute for the Blind, the school where Bridgman had been educated. Its director asked Anne Sullivan, a 20-year-old alumna of the school who was visually impaired, to become Keller's instructor. It was the beginning of a nearly 50-year-long relationship.

Sullivan arrived at the Kellers' house on March 5, 1887, a day Keller would forever remember as "my soul's birthday". She immediately began spelling words into Helen's hand, starting with "d-o-l-l" for the doll she had brought her as a present. At first Keller struggled: she could not comprehend that every object had a word identifying it, and when Sullivan was trying to teach her the word for "mug", she became so frustrated that she broke the mug. "I did not know that I was spelling a word or even that words existed," she remembered.

The next month came the breakthrough. As her teacher made the motions on the palm of one hand while cool water ran over the other, Keller realized that they symbolized the idea of "water". She quickly demanded that Sullivan sign the names of all the other familiar objects in her world.

Determined to communicate with others as conventionally as possible, Keller learned to speak. She learned to "hear" people's speech using the Tadoma method, feeling the speaker's lips and throat with her fingers, became proficient at braille and also used fingerspelling.

After an education at both specialist and mainstream schools, Keller gained admittance to Radcliffe College of Harvard University in 1900. Her admirer Mark Twain had introduced her to the magnate Henry Huttleston Rogers, who, with his wife Abbie, paid for her education. In 1904, at the age of 24, Keller graduated from Radcliffe as a member of Phi Beta Kappa, becoming the first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree.

She wrote her autobiography, The Story of My Life, during her time in college; it was published in 1903, when Keller was 22. In an article she wrote in 1907, Keller brought to public attention the fact that many cases of childhood blindness could be prevented by washing the eyes of every newborn baby with a disinfectant solution. Thanks to her advocacy, this public health measure was swiftly and widely adopted.

Keller became a world-famous speaker and author and an advocate for people with disabilities. Anne Sullivan, once her governess, remained her companion until her own death in 1936; Keller held her hand to the end.

Keller devoted much of her later life to raising funds for the American Foundation for the Blind. From 1946 to 1957, she visited 35 countries. In 1954, she was the subject of the Academy Award-winning documentary Helen Keller in Her Story, and on September 14, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, one of the United States' two highest civilian honors.

Helen Keller died in her sleep on June 1, 1968, at her home in Easton, Connecticut, at the age of 87. Her ashes were buried at the Washington National Cathedral next to her constant companions, Anne Sullivan and Polly Thomson.

Timeline

  1. 1880 born in Tuscumbia
  2. 1887 Anne Sullivan arrives
  3. 1904 graduated from Radcliffe
  4. 1936 Anne Sullivan died
  5. 1954 Academy Award-winning documentary
  6. 1968 died at the age of 87

Every date and figure comes from a verified claim. Select one to go to the claim and its quote.

Helen Keller

“The living word awakened my soul, gave it light, hope, set it free!”

— Helen Keller, on understanding the word "water" · Source

The takeaway

Even one understood word can change a life: from "water" spelled into her palm, Helen Keller went on, despite being blind and deaf, to a college degree, books and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Sources

Wikipedia article: Helen Keller

This text is adapted from a revision of the Wikipedia article and is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Photo at the top: Unknown author · public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Photo at the end: Family member of Thaxter P. Spencer, now part of the R. Stanton Avery Special Collections, at the New England Historic Genealogical Society. See Press Release [1] for more information. · public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Claims and quotes

Every claim is taken from a Wikipedia article. Open one to see the verbatim quote.

  1. Helen Keller was an American deafblind author, disability rights advocate, political activist and lecturer.
    was an American deafblind author, disability rights advocate, political activist and lecturer
    Source
  2. Keller was born on June 27, 1880, in Tuscumbia, Alabama.
    Keller was born Helen Adams Keller on June 27, 1880, in Tuscumbia, Alabama
    Source
  3. At 19 months old, Keller contracted an unknown illness described by doctors as "an acute congestion of the stomach and the brain".
    At 19 months old, Keller contracted an unknown illness described by doctors as "an acute congestion of the stomach and the brain".
    Source
  4. Keller recovered, but was left permanently blind and deaf, "at sea in a dense fog", as she recalled in her autobiography.
    Keller was able to recover from her illness, but was left permanently blind and deaf, as she recalled in her autobiography, "at sea in a dense fog".
    Source
  5. Until the age of seven, Keller communicated primarily using home signs.
    She then communicated primarily using home signs until the age of seven, when she met her first teacher and life-long companion Anne Sullivan.
    Source
  6. By the age of seven, Keller had more than 60 home signs to communicate with her family and could distinguish people by the vibration of their footsteps.
    by the age of seven, Keller had more than 60 home signs to communicate with her family, and could distinguish people by the vibration of their footsteps.
    Source
  7. In 1886, Keller's mother, inspired by an account in Charles Dickens' American Notes of the successful education of Laura Bridgman, a deaf and blind woman, sent Keller and her father to an eye, ear, nose and throat specialist in Baltimore for advice.
    In 1886, Keller's mother, inspired by an account in Charles Dickens' American Notes of the successful education of Laura Bridgman, a deaf and blind woman, dispatched the young Keller and her father to consult physician J. Julian Chisholm, an eye, ear, nose and throat specialist in Baltimore, for advice.
    Source
  8. The specialist referred the Kellers to Alexander Graham Bell, who was working with deaf children at the time, and Bell advised them to contact the Perkins Institute for the Blind, the school where Bridgman had been educated.
    Chisholm referred the Kellers to Alexander Graham Bell, who was working with deaf children at the time. Bell advised them to contact the Perkins Institute for the Blind, the school where Bridgman had been educated.
    Source
  9. The school's director asked Anne Sullivan, a 20-year-old visually impaired alumna, to become Keller's instructor; it was the beginning of a nearly 50-year-long relationship, with Sullivan as her governess and later her companion.
    Michael Anagnos, the school's director, asked Anne Sullivan, a 20-year-old alumna of the school who was visually impaired, to become Keller's instructor. It was the beginning of a nearly 50-year-long relationship Sullivan developed with Keller as her governess and later her companion.
    Source
  10. Sullivan arrived at Keller's house on March 5, 1887, a day Keller would forever remember as "my soul's birthday".
    Sullivan arrived at Keller's house on March 5, 1887, a day Keller would forever remember as "my soul's birthday".
    Source
  11. Sullivan immediately began spelling words into Helen's hand, beginning with "d-o-l-l" for the doll she had brought her as a present.
    Sullivan immediately began to teach Helen to communicate by spelling words into her hand, beginning with "d-o-l-l" for the doll that she had brought Keller as a present.
    Source
  12. At first Keller could not comprehend that every object had a word identifying it; trying to learn the word for "mug", she became so frustrated that she broke the mug.
    Keller initially struggled with lessons since she could not comprehend that every object had a word identifying it. When Sullivan was trying to teach Keller the word for "mug", Keller became so frustrated she broke the mug.
    Source
  13. Keller remembered that she did not know she was spelling a word or even that words existed.
    I did not know that I was spelling a word or even that words existed. I was simply making my fingers go in monkey-like imitation.
    Source
  14. The next month, Keller realized that the motions her teacher made on her palm, while cool water ran over her other hand, symbolized the idea of "water".
    The next month, Keller made a breakthrough, when she realized that the motions her teacher was making on the palm of her hand, while running cool water over her other hand, symbolized the idea of "water".
    Source
  15. Keller recalled that the living word awakened her soul, gave it light, hope and set it free.
    I knew then that w-a-t-e-r meant the wonderful cool something that was flowing over my hand. The living word awakened my soul, gave it light, hope, set it free!
    Source
  16. Keller quickly demanded that Sullivan sign the names of all the other familiar objects in her world.
    Keller quickly demanded that Sullivan sign the names of all the other familiar objects in her world.
    Source
  17. Determined to communicate with others as conventionally as possible, Keller learned to speak.
    Determined to communicate with others as conventionally as possible, Keller learned to speak and spent much of her life giving speeches and lectures on aspects of her life.
    Source
  18. Keller learned to "hear" people's speech using the Tadoma method, feeling the speaker's lips and throat with her fingers.
    She learned to "hear" people's speech using the Tadoma method, which means using her fingers to feel the lips and throat of the speaker.
    Source
  19. Keller became proficient at using braille and also used fingerspelling.
    She became proficient at using braille, and also used fingerspelling to communicate.
    Source
  20. Keller had an education at both specialist and mainstream schools before Radcliffe College.
    After an education at both specialist and mainstream schools, Keller attended Radcliffe College of Harvard University
    Source
  21. In 1900, Keller gained admittance to Radcliffe College of Harvard University.
    before gaining admittance, in 1900, to Radcliffe College of Harvard University
    Source
  22. Mark Twain had introduced Keller to the magnate Henry Huttleston Rogers, who, with his wife Abbie, paid for her education.
    Her admirer, Mark Twain, had introduced her to Standard Oil magnate Henry Huttleston Rogers, who, with his wife Abbie, paid for her education.
    Source
  23. In 1904, at the age of 24, Keller graduated from Radcliffe as a member of Phi Beta Kappa, becoming the first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree.
    In 1904, at the age of 24, Keller graduated from Radcliffe as a member of Phi Beta Kappa, becoming the first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree.
    Source
  24. Keller wrote her autobiography, The Story of My Life, during her time in college; it was published in 1903, when she was 22.
    At age 22, with help from Sullivan and Sullivan's husband John Macy, Keller published her autobiography, The Story of My Life (1903). It recounts the story of her life up to age 21 and was written during her time in college.
    Source
  25. In a 1907 article, Keller brought to public attention that many cases of childhood blindness could be prevented by washing the eyes of every newborn baby with a disinfectant solution.
    In an article Keller wrote in 1907, she brought to public attention the fact that many cases of childhood blindness could be prevented by washing the eyes of every newborn baby with a disinfectant solution.
    Source
  26. Thanks to Keller's advocacy, this public health measure was swiftly and widely adopted.
    Thanks to Keller's advocacy, this commonsense public health measure was swiftly and widely adopted.
    Source
  27. Keller became a world-famous speaker and author and an advocate for people with disabilities.
    Keller became a world-famous speaker and author. She was an advocate for people with disabilities, amid numerous other causes.
    Source
  28. Keller devoted much of her later life to raising funds for the American Foundation for the Blind.
    Keller devoted much of her later life to raising funds for the American Foundation for the Blind.
    Source
  29. Sullivan died in 1936, with Keller holding her hand.
    Sullivan died in 1936, with Keller holding her hand, after falling into a coma as a result of coronary thrombosis.
    Source
  30. From 1946 to 1957, Keller visited 35 countries.
    From 1946 to 1957, Keller visited 35 countries.
    Source
  31. Keller was the subject of the Academy Award-winning 1954 documentary Helen Keller in Her Story.
    She was also the subject of the Academy Award-winning 1954 documentary Helen Keller in Her Story
    Source
  32. On September 14, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson awarded Keller the Presidential Medal of Freedom, one of the United States' two highest civilian honors.
    On September 14, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, one of the United States' two highest civilian honors.
    Source
  33. Keller died in her sleep on June 1, 1968, at her home in Easton, Connecticut, at the age of 87.
    She died in her sleep on June 1, 1968, at her home, Arcan Ridge, located in Easton, Connecticut, at the age of 87.
    Source
  34. Keller's ashes were buried at the Washington National Cathedral next to her constant companions, Anne Sullivan and Polly Thomson.
    Her ashes were buried at the Washington National Cathedral next to her constant companions, Anne Sullivan and Polly Thomson.
    Source

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