Untitled Document
 What
Was Helen Keller's Childhood Like?
Helen Keller was born in Alabama, U.S. on June 27, 1880. She was born
very healthy. But when she was
19 months old, she fell ill. As a result, she became deaf and blind. Her parents wanted
to communicate with their daughter.
But they didn't know how to teach her. So they contacted a school for the
blind in Boston. The school sent them a very kind young teacher named
Anne Sullivan. It was the beginning of their 49-year-long
relationship.
What Did Helen Keller Learn from Sullivan?
Teaching a little blind and deaf girl wasn't easy for Sullivan, who
was also blind. But she loved Helen very much. And she tried to teach
her how to read and write. Little Helen had a hard time learning it.
But finally she was able to read
Braille in 5 different languages - English, French, German, Greek and Latin! In 1890, when she
became 10, Helen even learned how to speak. Since she couldn't see
or hear, she had to learn it in a special way. She touched other people's lips and throat as they spoke. So
she could know what they were saying. And finally she was able to
speak as well!
 Why
Is Helen Keller So Special?
Do you think disabled people can't do
many things? WRONG! If they try, they can do many great and wonderful things. And Helen
Keller was the living proof. In 1904 when she was
only 24, Helen graduated from Radcliffe College magna cum laude. And
she became the first blind and deaf person to graduate from a university!
She went on to become a world famous speaker, author and supporter for people with
disabilities.
What
Did Helen Keller Write?
Can you believe someone who can't see and hear can write a book? Surprisingly, Helen Keller
wrote 12 books! Her most famous book Light in My Darkness was published
in 1960. She also wrote an autobiography called The
Story of My Life. The book was published in 1903. In this book, you
can see letters that Helen wrote and the story of her life up to age
21.
What Did Helen Keller Do in Her Later
Life?
Helen Keller spent much of her lifetime helping other people.
In 1915, she founded HKI (Helen Keller
International), a non-profit organization preventing blindness and malnutrition. She also worked
hard to raise money for the American
Foundation for the Blind and Overseas Blind. Helen traveled to more
than 39 countries all over the world to let people know about the
rights of people with disabilities.
Helen Keller received many awards for her courage and leadership. Helen Keller's
amazing journey came to an end when
she passed away on June 1, 1968. She died only 26 days before her
88th birthday. |
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