The Life and Achievements of Helen Keller
The Life and Achievements of Helen Keller
Helen Adams Keller was born in Alabama on June 27 , 1880 . At an early age of 19 months , she suffered from an acute congestion of stomach and brain , which could have been caused by scarlet fever or meningitis . The disease caused her to lose her senses of sight and hearing . Because of the disability to hear , she never learned to speak . Even after this incident , she could somewhat communicate using sign language and gestures . When she reached the age of seven , she had understood and developed many signs to communicate with her family . It is known that her efforts and ability to communicate at an early age did help her much in her development in the later years .
She was the first deaf and blind person to have earned an undergraduate degree . When Helen was only six years old , her mother sent for J . Julian Chisolm , a physician specializing in eye , ear , nose and throat . Chisolm advised them to meet Alexander Graham Bell , the inventor of the telephone . The famous scientist was working with deaf children at that time . Meeting one person after the other , the Kellers finally met Anne Sullivan , a blind student herself , who was willing to instruct and guide Helen .
Her teacher , Anne Sullivan should be credited for her enormous success . Helen Keller having no basic knowledge and considering that three of her five senses were impaired was taught how to survive in the world let alone read and write . For 49 years , Anne Sullivan mentored and governed Helen Keller to become an outspoken traveler and a social worker who pursued better living and education for disabled people . She had also worked for labor rights and many other radical issues that pertained in the society . The state of Alabama inducted her to the Hall of Fame in 1971 . She was also awarded the presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964 .
She had devoted much of her last years to fund-raising for the blind . Helen Keller suffered from a number of strokes in 1961 . She died at her home while she was asleep on the night of June 1 , 1968 in Connecticut .
Nearly every country on earth has shown respect and honour for Helen Keller ' s achievements . Zurich in Switzerland , Getafe in Spain , Lod in Israel , Lisbon in Portugal and Caen in France have streets or roads named after the deaf and blind miracle Helen Keller . In