Helen Keller

Helen Keller was an American author and activist. She was born in Tuscumbia, Alabama, in 1880. She became blind and deaf at 19 months old from an illness. With the help of her teacher, Anne Sullivan, she learned to communicate and became one of the most admired people in history.

Early Life

Keller lost her sight and hearing as a baby. She could not speak or understand others. Her parents hired a teacher named Anne Sullivan. Sullivan taught Helen to communicate by spelling words into her hand.

Big Achievements

Keller learned to read, write, and speak. She graduated from college with honors. She wrote many books and traveled the world giving speeches. She fought for the rights of people with disabilities, women, and workers.

Fun Facts

• The first word Keller understood was water, which Sullivan spelled into her hand while running water over it.
• She learned to speak even though she could not hear herself.
• She met every U.S. president from Grover Cleveland to Lyndon Johnson.

Did You Know?

Keller once said, 'The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.' She spent her life proving that disabilities do not have to limit what a person can achieve.