Helen Keller The woman who changed the way we see disabilities. Sam Crawford, Dylan Gibson, Josh Bown

First deaf blind person to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree Advocate for people with disabilities A suffragist, a pacifist, and a member of the socialist party Wrote and Published “The Story of My Life” while she was still in college

Helen Adams Keller was born on June 27, 1880 to Arthur H. Keller, a Confederate veteran, and Kate Adams Keller in Tuscumbia, Alabama. Born a normal healthy child, saying her first words at around six months old and walking around one year old At nineteen months, however, she became ill with what her doctor called “acute congestion of the stomach and brain.” At 6, she was taken to an eyesight specialist, who recommended the family take Helen to see Dr. Alexander Graham Bell.

Anne Sullivan was the tutor selected for Helen Keller and arrived in Tuscumbia on March 3 rd 1887, a date Helen always referred to as “my soul’s birthday”. She taught Helen the manual alphabet which is conveyed by simple finger movements by one person on the palm of another, and she began spelling words into Helen’s hand. After struggling, Helen finally learned the word “water”. End of first day she learned 30 words. After 6 months, Helen was writing letters.

In 1890 while attending the Horace Mann School for the deaf, Helen learned to speak under the instruction of Sarah Fuller. From 1896 to 1900 she attended the Cambridge School for Young Ladies with Annie accompanying her to all classes, and repeating lectures by touch into Helen’s hand. After college with Anne still mentoring her, Helen set out to learn more about the world and how she could help improve the lives of others. Later she went on to help found the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union)

Made many lecture tours, wrote several books, made one motion picture based on her life, and even appeared on the vaudeville circuit for two years. In 1942, Helen began to raise funds for the Nascent American foundation for the blind, and this work became the focal point in her life.

The causes of Helen Keller’s primary issues have been mostly negated At 19 months, she became ill and fell blind and deaf; she later referred to herself as "Phantom" during this period Because medical advances were lacking at the time of young Helen’s illness, it advanced far beyond what we would see in a young child today. Helen’s parents did everything they could for her. The first deaf person to get a BA, graduating with honors from Radcliff in 1904

Today, people with disabilities have a much better chance at living a normal life. In 1972, the first section of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 was passed. Also known as the IDEA Act. Not only can we better identify early disabilities and handicaps, but we have developed services that will help increase development and improvement of lifestyle for teenagers and adults.

Assistive technology Audiology or hearing services Speech and language services Counseling and training for a family Medical services Nursing services Nutrition services Occupational therapy Physical therapy Psychological services

Not only are these services extended to the children, but to their families as well. Counselors and therapists can help a family understand the needs as well as develop a better understanding of the handicap involved. None of this would be exactly what it is today if not for Helen Keller’s care and understanding of the physically disabled almost 100 years ago. The lives of children with disabilities don’t seem nearly as bleak, and adults with disabilities can at least find comfort in knowing their medical care system can actually support and understand what they’re going through.

Helped everyone, not just disabled people. If not for her activism, I may not have the opportunity to learn from women in the classroom. In “How I became a socialist,” she states. “For several months my name and socialism have appeared often together in newspapers. A friend tells me that I have shared the front pages with baseball, Mr. Roosevelt and the New York police scandal. “ I am impressed to learn that its these few women from the past that have changed the way we look at the word and the result being I have female professors and female classmates.

The result of my experience researching Helen Keller’s life, trials, and successes is overall a greater understanding of the many advantages I have. Helen’s life would not have been nearly as impactful if she had been born to a poor family. The rich are the only ones who could afford to provide the care that such a child is in need of in her time. It also shed new light on a realization: I don’t see many disabled people in college.

Helen was also a founding member of the American Civil Liberties Union. Because of the ACLU, race and gender are hardly even noticed in today’s colleges. A white girl can sit next to a black guy, and not only is there no repulsion (at least, at Salt Lake Community College), it’s usually treated as an opportunity to learn about another culture, or at least to make a new friend.

After overcoming her many obstacles, she continued on. She went on through the obstacles, with the help of Anne Sullivan. I was also in a bad accident, my life changing in the blink of an eye. Finally I decided to go for college, and will continue on inspired by Helen Keller.

People who participated in social activist groups have made a lot of change and further developed the way that people learn today. Helen had a disability and her strive to get along without the ability to talk was amazing. What she did was not usual and it was not easy. I have a new compassion for people with disabilities after studying about the women that helped bring our minds out of old ways thought.

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