Helen Keller 1880-1968

Lecturer *Author*Activist

Presented by: Tammy Smith

Deaf-Blindness OOD• Can You imagine a world without sight or sound???

Deaf-Blind Facts

Deaf-Blind is a combination of vision and hearing impairments.

It is rare to be completely deaf and blind approximately 45,000 to 50,000 individuals in

the U.S are deaf-blind.Tactile signing, fingerspelling, ASL, TrackingScreen braille communicator, TTY with braille

Captel, braille notetaker

Helen Keller’s Early Life

June 27,1880: Born in Tuscumbia, Alabama

February,1882: 19 month olds becomes blind and deaf

1886: Alexander Graham Bell’s referral to Perkins Institute

March,1887: Annie Sullivan becomes Helen’s teacher

April 14, 1866: Johanna Mansfield Sullivan born

mother died of tuberculosis

February 22, 1876: sent to Mass. Almshouse

1880: Perkins School for the Blind

She graduated valedictorian of her class in 1886

Becomes Helen Keller’s teacher

Annie Sullivan

Helen Keller learns language

Helen Keller’s Later Life

1900- enrolled in Radcliffe College 1903- Published her autobiography 1904- 1st Deaf-Blind to graduate college 1924- lectures and tours 1943-1946- visited military hospitals 1953- Honored at Sorbonne (Louie Braille) 1964- Suffered from Stroke 1968- Died at age 88

Helen Keller’s Contributions

Founding member ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union)

Massachusetts Commission for the Blind

women’s rights, birth control, women’s suffrage

voice for socialism and working class solidarity

Author of numerous booksassistance in the formation in 1946 of a special service for deaf-blind persons

What you didn’t know about Helen Keller

She never learned ASL She was a member of Socialist Party Loved Music Dog lover- brought Akita to America She starred in silent film Deliverance in 1919 performed on vaudeville circuit She traveled to 39 countries in her lifetime Helen saw herself as a writer first—her passport listed her

profession as "author."

More Facts

the first deaf-blind person to earn a BA degree. Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964Helen Keller met every US presidentShe also met other famous people

My Impressions

Brilliant, Passionate, Sensitive, BraveOPTIMISTICCuriousInspiring to othersShe was strong, a fighter

What Remains: The Legacy of Helen Keller

• state commissions for the blind were created• rehabilitation centers were built• education was made accessible to those with

vision loss. • Formation of Deaf-Blind services• Braille adopted as official writing system • Her inspiration, her books, and movies

Helen Keller’s Impact On Me

Never give up!Obstacles can be overcome!Passion in helping others is contagious!It’s All About Your Connections!Communication is Essential to Effect Change!Becoming a “social work” miracle worker!

Famous Helen Keller Quotes• Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.• Life is either a daring adventure or nothing• When one door closes, another opens. • Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow.• The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even

touched. They must be felt with the heart• Knowledge is power• It is a terrible thing to see and have no vision• Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.• The best way out is always through.• The welfare of each is bound up in the welfare of all.

Questions

1. What do you think was Helen Keller’s greatest achievement?

2. Helen Keller said “We can do anything we want if we stick to it long enough.” Do you agree with this?

3. If you had to choose between deaf or blind, which would you choose and why?

References• http://helenkeller.weebly.com/timeline.html• http://www.sapphyr.net/women/helenkeller.htm• http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/helen-keller-201.php• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUV65sV8nu0• http://

www.goodhousekeeping.com/family/inspirational-people/facts-about-helen-keller#slide-10

• http://www.afb.org/asm/asmbiography.asp• http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/keller-helen/intro.htm• http://www.aadb.org/factsheets/db_communications.html• http://www.perkins.org/vision-loss/helen-keller/helenkellerfaq.html• http://

www.afb.org/section.aspx?FolderID=1&SectionID=1&TopicID=129&DocumentID=1351

• http://www.ranker.com/list/a-list-of-famous-helen-keller-quotes/reference