helen keller biography telugu

హెలెన్ కెల్లర్ జీవిత చరిత్ర (Helen Keller biography in Telugu)

హెలెన్ కెల్లర్ జీవిత చరిత్ర తెలుసుకునే ముందు తాను సాధించిన కొన్ని లక్ష్యాల గురించి మరియు ఆమె ఎందుకని ఇంతలా గోప్ప వ్యక్తిగా పరిగణించ బడుతుంది అనే విషయం గురించి తెలుసుకుందాము.

హెలెన్ కెల్లర్ అమెరికా కు చెందిన రచయిత మరియు రాజకీయ కార్యకర్త. కెల్లర్ బాచిలర్ అఫ్ ఆర్ట్స్ లో డిగ్రీ సంపాదించిన మొదటి చెవిటి,అంధురాలిగా చరిత్రలో నిలిచిపోయింది.

Table of Contents

హెలెన్ కెల్లెర్ బాల్యం :

 హెలెన్ కెల్లర్ జూన్ 27, 1880 లో జన్మించారు. హెలెన్ కు నలుగురు అన్న తమ్ముళ్లు, ఈ నలుగురిలో ఇద్దరు సొంత తమ్ముళ్లు మరియు మిగతా ఇద్దరు వారి నాన్నకు మొదటి పెళ్లి లో పుట్టిన వారు.

హెలెన్ కెల్లెర్ తండ్రి అమెరికన్ ఆర్మీ లో కెప్టెన్ గా పనిచేసాడు. ఆ తరవాత టూస్క్యూఎంబీయే (Tuscumbia) లో North Alabamian అనే వార్త పత్రికలో ఎడిటర్ గా కూడా పనిచేసాడు. కెల్లెర్ తల్లి కూడా అమెరికన్ ఆర్మీ జనరల్ కూతురు, కెల్లెర్ జీవితంలో ని ఆసక్తికరమైన విషయం ఏమిటంటే తన తండ్రి వంశంలోనే ఒకరు మొదటి సారిగా చెవిటి పిల్లలకు టీచర్ గా కూడా పాఠాలు చెప్పేవారు. బహుశా అదే విషయం కెల్లెర్ ని ప్రభావితం చేసింది.

హెలెన్ కెల్లెర్ జీవితంలో విషాదం: 

హెలెన్ కెల్లెర్ ఏడాదిన్నర సంవత్సరంలో ఉన్నప్పుడు తాను ఒక వింత రోగం బారిన పడింది. ఈ జబ్బు ముఖ్యంగా కెల్లెర్ కడుపు,మెదడు ని బాగా దెబ్బతీసింది ఫలితంగా కెల్లెర్ చెవిటి మరియు అంధురాలిగా మారిపోయింది. 

కెల్లెర్ తనకి ఎదురైనా ఈ పరిస్థితిని తన జీవిత చరిత్రలో ” at sea in a dense fog ” (దట్టమైన పొగమంచులలో ఉన్న సముద్రం) గా వర్ణించింది.

కెల్లెర్ ఆరు సంవత్సరాల నుంచి సైగలతో మాట్లాడటం ప్రారంభించింది. ఇంతే కాకుండా ఎదుటివారు చేసే శబ్దాలని వారు వచ్చే తీరు ని గమనించి వాళ్ళు ఎవరు అనేది గుర్తు పట్టేది. 

కెల్లెర్ తల్లి తన ఈ పరిస్థితిని చూసి తనని ఒక మంచి వైద్యుడి కి చూపించాలని నిర్ణయించుకుంది. 1886 లో కెల్లెర్ తన తండ్రి తో పాటు కలిసి బాల్టిమోర్ (Baltimore) లోని ENT స్పెషలిస్ట్ జే. జూలియన్  చిసోల్మ్ (J. Julian Chisolm ) వద్దకు వెళ్లారు, జూలియన్ చిసోల్మ్ అలెగ్జాండర్ గ్రహంబెల్ ని  కలవమని సలహా ఇచ్చాడు . 

అలెగ్జాండర్ గ్రాహంబెల్ సలహా :    

అలెగ్జాండర్ గ్రహంబెల్ టెలిఫోన్ ని కనుగొన్నది దాదాపు అందరికి తెలిసిందే, టెలిఫోన్ కనుగొనక ముందు గ్రహంబెల్ కూడా చెవిటి పిల్లలకు భోధించేవాడు. 

గ్రహంబెల్ కెల్లెర్ ని పెర్కిన్స్ ఇన్స్టిట్యూట్  ఫర్ ద బ్లైండ్ (Perkins Institute for the Blind)  లో చేర్పించమని సలహా ఇచ్చాడు. కెల్లెర్ ఆ స్కూల్ లో చేరిన తరవాత ఆ స్కూల్ యొక్క డైరెక్టర్ అదే స్కూల్ లో చదువుతున్న 20 సంవత్సరాల అన్నీసల్లివన్ (Anne Sullivan) ని కెల్లెర్ ని భోదించమని అడిగాడు.

అన్నీసల్లివన్ :

అన్నీ సల్లివన్ కెల్లెర్ ను చదివంచడానికి ఒప్పుకుంది. 1887 నుండి సల్లివన్ కెల్లెర్ ను చేతి సైగలతో ఎలా ఎదుటివారితో ఎలా మాట్లాడాలి  అని బోధించడం మొదలుపెట్టింది. ప్రారంభంలో కెల్లెర్ కు చేతి సైగలతో మాట్లాడటం చాలా కష్టంగా అనిపించింది కానీ క్రమ క్రమంగా అలవాటు చేసుకుంది. 

అన్ని సల్లివన్ కెల్లర్ ని నేర్పించడమే కాకుండా తనకు ఎల్లప్పుడూ తోడుగా కూడా ఉండేది. సల్లివన్ వయసు పెరిగే కొద్దీ ఆరోగ్యం బాగా క్షిణించింది. 1936 సంవత్సరంలో సుల్లివాన్ కోమా లో కి వెళ్ళిపోయింది, తన చివరి క్షణాలలో తన చేతులు కెల్లర్ పట్టుకొని ఉన్నప్పుడు సల్లివన్ చనిపోయింది.  

విద్యాభ్యాసం:

కెల్లెర్ పెర్కిన్స్ ఇన్స్టిట్యూట్ లో 1888 లో చేరి విద్యాభ్యాసం ప్రారంభించింది.1894 లో కెల్లెర్ న్యూయార్క్ లోని  Wright-Humason School for the Deaf లో చేరింది. ఆ తరవాత Sarah Fuller అనే టీచర్ వద్ద నేర్చుకోవడానికి Horace Mann School for the Deaf లో చేరింది. 1900 సంవత్సరంలో కెల్లెర్  Radcliffe College కాలేజీ లో చదివేటప్పుడు, Henry Huttleston Rogers కెల్లెర్ చదువు కు సంభందించిన ఖర్చులు తానే భరించాడు. 

ఇదే కాలేజీ నుండి మొట్ట మొదటి సారిగా Bachelor of Arts degree సంపాదించిన చెవిటి, అంధ మహిళ హెలెన్ కెల్లెర్.  

ఎదుటివారితో మాట్లాడటం కెల్లెర్ కి  చాలా ఇష్టం అందుకని చాలావరకు తన సమయాన్ని ప్రసంగాలలో, ఉపన్యాసాలలో గడిపేది.  

రాజకీయ జీవితం:

కెల్లర్ తన రాజకీయ జీవితం కూడా అంధుల సేవ గురించి  అంకితం చేసింది. హెలెన్ కెల్లెర్ 25 దేశాల అంధులను తన ప్రసంగాలతో ప్రభావితం చేసారు. ఇదే కాకుండా సల్లివన్ తో కలిసి 40 దేశాల పర్యనటన కూడా చేసింది. తన జీవితంలో  తాను చేసే మంచి పనుల వళ్ళ చాలా మంది ప్రముఖులు తనకు స్నేహితులుగా మారారు.    

కెల్లర్ సోషలిస్ట్ పార్టీ లో చేరి మహిళల హక్కుల గురించి  మరియు యుద్ధాల వళ్ళ కలిగే నష్టాల గురించి పోరాడింది, పెరుగుతున్న జనాభాని కూడా అదుపులో ఉంచాలని తానూ కోరేది.   

కెల్లర్ తన రాజకీయ జీవితం లో ఎలాగైతే ప్రసంగాలు చేసి మెప్పు పొందిందో అలాగే తను 12 పుస్తకాలు వేరు వేరు అంశాల పై రాసింది.

గౌరవ పురస్కరాలు :

ఇండియా లోని మైసూర్ లో హెలెన్ కెల్లెర్ జ్ఞాపకర్తం గా  All India Institute of Speech and Hearing ను నిర్మిచడం జరిగింది.  హాస్పిటల్స్ మరియు వీధుల పేర్లు హెలెన్ కెల్లర్ పేరు మీదుగా పెట్టడం జరిగింది. 1973 లో National Women’s Hall of Fame లో తన పేరుని చేర్చడం జరిగింది. 1980 నాటికి కెల్లెర్ పుట్టి 100 సంవత్సరాలు పూర్తి అయిన సందర్భంలో  United States Postal Service కెల్లర్ పేరు మీద స్టాంప్ కూడా జారీ చేసారు.  

మరణం :  

1961 సంవత్సరంలో పలుమార్లు గుండెపోటు బారిన పడ్డారు. జూన్ 1,1968 సంవత్సరంలో ఇంట్లోనే  నిద్రలోనే మరణించారు.

2 thoughts on “హెలెన్ కెల్లర్ జీవిత చరిత్ర (Helen Keller biography in Telugu)”

Nice information.

IT IS NOT 🚭 HELP FULL TO US YOU DIDN’T SHOW IN TABLE 🤬

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അമ്മയുടെ ആ തീരുമാനമാണു ഹെലൻ കെല്ലർ എന്ന പ്രതിഭ

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Published: December 25 , 2019 10:44 AM IST

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അൽബാമയിലെ ടസ്കമ്പിയ. 1882 ഫെബ്രുവരി. ഐവി ഗ്രീൻ എന്ന എസ്റ്റേറ്റ് ബംഗ്ലാവിൽ ഒരു കു‍ഞ്ഞു നിർത്താതെ കരയുകയാണ്. ഒന്നര വയസ്സുള്ള കൊച്ചു ഹെലൻ. പിതാവ് ആർതർ എച്ച്. കെല്ലറും അമ്മ കെയ്റ്റ് ആദംസും ആശ്വസിപ്പിക്കാൻ പലതും ചെയ്തു. പക്ഷേ,കരച്ചിൽ നിർത്തുന്നില്ല. ഒടുക്കം അവൾ തളർന്നുറങ്ങി. നേരം രാത്രിയായതോടെ കൊച്ചുഹെലനു പനി തുടങ്ങി. പനി മൂർച്ഛിച്ചു. കണ്ണുകൾ പുറകിലേക്കു മറിഞ്ഞു. അവർ ആശുപത്രിയിലേക്കു കുതിച്ചു. ഡോക്ടർ കുഞ്ഞിനെ പരിശോധിച്ചു. മസ്തിഷ്കജ്വരമാണ്. കുഞ്ഞിന്റെ ജീവൻ അപകടത്തിലാണ്. വൈദ്യശാസ്ത്രത്തിനു കൂടുതലൊന്നും ചെയ്യാനില്ല. ഏതു നിമഷവും മകൾ തങ്ങളെ വിട്ടുപോകും എന്ന ഭീതിയോടെ മാതാപിതാക്കൾ രാവും പകലും അവൾക്കു കാവലിരുന്നു. ദിവസങ്ങൾ കടന്നുപോയി. എല്ലാവരെയും അതിശയിപ്പിച്ചുകൊണ്ട് ഒരുദിവസം ഹെലൻ രോഗത്തിന്റെ പിടിയിൽ നിന്നു മോചിതയായി.

അവർ ആശുപത്രി വിട്ടു. ഊർജസ്വലയായി ഓടി നടന്ന ഹെലൻ ആശുപത്രി വാസത്തിനുശേഷം കട്ടിലിൽ നിന്ന് എഴുന്നേൽക്കാതെയായി. പലപ്പോഴും ആശങ്കയും ഭീതിയുമാണ് അവളുടെ മുഖത്ത്. ഒരു ദിവസം കെയ്റ്റ് കുഞ്ഞിനെ കളിപ്പിക്കാനായി മുഖത്തിനു നേരെ കൈ അടുപ്പിച്ചു. പക്ഷേ, ഹെലന്റെ കണ്ണുകൾ ചിമ്മിയില്ല. പെട്ടന്ന് ആരോ കോളിങ് ബെല്ലടിച്ചു. ശബ്ദം കേട്ട് കെയ്റ്റ് ഞെട്ടിപ്പോയി. പക്ഷേ, ഹെലൻ ഞെട്ടിയില്ല. കുഞ്ഞിന്റെ കണ്ണുകൾക്കു നേരെ പലകുറി അമ്മ കൈ കൊണ്ടുവന്നു. അവളുടെ കണ്ണുകൾ ചിമ്മുന്നില്ല. കൊച്ചു ഹെലന് വളരെ ഇഷ്ടമായിരുന്ന പൂന്തോട്ടത്തിലേക്കു കെയ്റ്റ് അവളെ എടുത്തുകൊണ്ട് ഓടി. ഹെലൻ പക്ഷേ, പൂക്കളെ നോക്കിയില്ല. ഹെലന് ഏറെ ഇഷ്ടമാണു കിളികളുടെ ശബ്ദം. പക്ഷേ, അവൾ അവയ്ക്കു ചെവി കൊടുത്തില്ല.

മസ്തിഷ്കജ്വരം അവളുടെ കാഴ്ചയും കേൾവിയും കട്ടെടുത്തിരിക്കുന്നു. ഇനിയൊരിക്കലും അവൾ പൂക്കളുടെ സൗന്ദര്യം കാണില്ല. കിളികളുടെ നാദം കേൾക്കില്ല. ഡോക്ടറുടെ വാക്കുകൾ ആ അമ്മയുടെ ഹൃദയത്തെ തകർത്തു. പിന്നീടുള്ള ജീവിതം ഹെലനു മുള്ളുകൾ നിറഞ്ഞതായിരുന്നു. പക്ഷേ, ഒരു പരാജയമായി ഹെലനെ വിട്ടുകൊടുക്കില്ലെന്ന് അമ്മ തീരുമാനിച്ചു. ആ തീരുമാനമാണു ലോകത്തിനു ഹെലൻ കെല്ലർ എന്ന പ്രതിഭയെ സമ്മാനിച്ചത്.

സ്വിറ്റ്സർലൻഡിൽ നിന്നു കുടിയേറി പാർത്തതാണു കെല്ലർ കുടുംബം. അവിടുത്തെ ഇളം തലമുറക്കാരൻ ആർതർ എച്ച്. കെല്ലറുടെയും കെയ്റ്റ് ആദംസിന്റെയും മകളായി 1880 ജൂൺ 27നാണു ഹെലൻ കെല്ലർ ജനിക്കുന്നത്. കാഴ്ചയും കേൾവിയുമില്ലാത്ത കുഞ്ഞിനെ എങ്ങനെ പഠിപ്പിക്കും എന്നറിയാതെ ആ അമ്മ കുഴങ്ങി. വളരും തോറും താൻ മറ്റുള്ളവരിൽ നിന്ന‌ു വ്യത്യസ്തയാണെന്നുള്ള ബോധം അവൾക്കുണ്ടായി. അതോടെ വലിയ വാശിക്കാരിയും ദേഷ്യക്കാരിയുമായി. പലപ്പോഴും അമ്മയുടെ കൈവെള്ളയിൽ മുഖമമർത്തി അവൾ കരഞ്ഞു. 

പരിചിതരായ പലരോടും കാഴ്ചയും കേൾവിയുമില്ലാത്ത മകൾക്ക് ഒരു അധ്യാപികയെ കിട്ടാൻ വഴിയുണ്ടോ എന്നവർ തിരക്കി. അങ്ങനെ 1887 മാർച്ച് 3ന് ആനി സള്ളിവൻ അധ്യാപികയായി ഹെലന്റെ വീട്ടിൽ എത്തി.

ആദ്യ ദിവസം രാവിലെ ഒരു പാവയുമായി ആനി ഹെലന്റെ അടുത്തെത്തി. പാവ അവളുടെ ഇടത്തേ കയ്യിൽ വച്ചുകൊടുത്തു. തുടർന്നു ‘ഡോൾ’ എന്നു വലതുകയ്യിൽ എഴുതി. ഹെലൻ പാവയുടെ മേൽ കൈകളോടിച്ചു. ഒരു പുഞ്ചിരി അവളുടെ മുഖത്തു വിരിഞ്ഞു. 49 വർഷം നീണ്ടുനിന്ന ഗുരു ശിഷ്യ ബന്ധത്തിന്റെ തുടക്കമായിരുന്നു അത്. പതുക്കെ അവൾ വാക്കുകൾ പഠിച്ചു തുടങ്ങി. തുടർന്നു ബ്രയിലി ലിപി വശത്താക്കി. ഹെലൻ സംസാരിക്കാൻ പഠിച്ചു. 24-ാം വയസ്സിൽ റാഡ്ക്ലിഫ് സർവകലാശാലയിൽ നിന്നു  ബിരുദം നേടി. കാഴ്ചയും കേൾവിയുമില്ലാതെ ബിരുദം നേടുന്ന ആദ്യവ്യക്തിയെന്ന നേട്ടവും സ്വന്തമാക്കി.

ദ് സ്റ്റോറി ഓഫ് മൈ ലൈഫ് എന്ന പേരിൽ ഹെലൻ ആത്മകഥ രചിച്ചു. വിവിധ വിഷയങ്ങളിൽ 12 പുസ്തകങ്ങളും ഒട്ടേറെ ലേഖനങ്ങളും എഴുതി. ഹെലന്റെ ജീവിതത്തെ ആസ്പദമാക്കി സിനിമകളും ഡോക്യുമെന്ററികളും പിറന്നു. അന്ധർക്കു വേണ്ടി ഹെലൻ കെല്ലർ ഇന്റർനാഷനൽ എന്ന സംഘടന ആരംഭിച്ചു. ധാരാളം രാജ്യങ്ങൾ സന്ദർശിച്ചു ജനങ്ങളെ ബോധവൽക്കരിച്ചു.  1968 ജൂണിൽ ഹെലൻ ലോകത്തോടു വിട പറഞ്ഞു.

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ప్రపంచ వికలాంగుల ఉద్యమాల సారథి హెలెన్ కెల్లర్ గురించి తెలుసుకుందాం: హెలెన్ ఆడమ్స్ కెల్లర్ (జూన్ 27, 1880 - అమెరికా లోని అలబామా ర....

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సేవాధురీణ హెలెన్ కెల్లర్

జూ న్ 27వ తేదీ ‘హెలెన్ కెల్లర్’ జయంతి సందర్భంగా ఈ వ్యాసం అందిస్తున్నారు పుట్టి నాగలక్ష్మి .

మూగ, చెవిటి, అంధురాలైన యువతి అయినా బ్రెయిలీ లిపిలో చదివి విద్యావేత్త, ఉపన్యాసకురాలు, అధ్యాపకురాలు, నిర్వహణా సమర్థురాలు, దివ్యాంగుల కోసం సంస్థల స్థాపకురాలు, నిధుల సేకరణతో దివ్యాంగుల సంస్థలను సుసంపన్నం చేసిన సేవాధురీణ రచయిత్రి హెలెన్ కెల్లర్.

ఈమె 1880 వ సంవత్సరం జూన్ 27 వ తేదీన అమెరికాలోని అలబామా రాష్ట్రంలోని టస్కంబియాలో జన్మించారు. తల్లిదండ్రులు కేథరీన్ ఎవెరెట్ ఆడమ్స్ కెల్లర్, ఆర్డర్ హెన్రీ కెల్లర్‌లు. ఈ కుటుంబం ‘ఐవీగ్రీన్’ అనే భవనంలో నివసించేవారు.

ఈమె సంవత్సరమున్నర వయసులో అనారోగ్యం పాలయింది. ప్రాణాలతో బతికి బట్టకట్టింది కానీ కంటి చూపునీ, వినికిడి శక్తిని కోల్పోయింది. వినికిడి శక్తి లేదు కాబట్టి మాటలు రావు.

వంటమనిషి చిన్న కుమార్తెతో సంజ్ఞలు చేసి మాట్లాడే అలవాటయింది. వాళ్ళిద్దరి సంభాషణ సంజ్ఞలతో సాగేది. సహజంగా ఇటువంటి దివ్యాంగులు కోపం, అసహనం, అసంతృప్తులతో మథనపడుతూ ఉంటారు. ఇతరులను కొడుతూ ఇబ్బంది పెడుతుంటారు. కెల్లర్ అందుకు మినహాయింపు కాదు.

ఈ పిల్లలతో తల్లి పడే వేదన, యాతన అసామాన్యమయినది. వారిని మామూలు పిల్లల స్థాయికి తీసుకుని రావడానికి ఎక్కడ ఏ అవకాశం దొరుకుతుందో అని వెతుకుతూ ఉంటుంది.

ఈ వెతుకులాటలోనే ఆమె తల్లికొక ఆశాకిరణం దొరికింది. ఛార్లెస్ డికెన్స్ యొక్క ‘అమెరికన్ నోట్సు’ తో చెవిటి, అంధురాలయిన లారా బ్రిడ్జిమన్ అనే మహిళ గురించి చదివింది. తరువాత భర్తతో సంప్రదించిందామె.

బాల్టిమోర్‌లో పని చేస్తున్న జులియన్ చిసోమ్ అనే ముక్కు, నోరు, కళ్ళు, గొంతుల స్పెషలిస్ట్ డాక్టర్‌ను కెల్లర్ తల్లిదండ్రులు కలిశారు. ఆయన ‘పెర్కిన్స్ స్కూల్ ఫర్ ది భ్లైండ్’లో చెవిటి పిల్లల కోసం పని చేస్తున్న అలెగ్జాండర్ గ్రాహమ్‌బెల్‌ను కలవమని చెప్పారు. అలెగ్జాండర్ గ్రాహమ్‌బెల్ సలహాల మేరకు ‘అన్నే మాన్సీ ఫీల్డ్ సుల్లివన్’ అనే ఇరవై ఏళ్ళ చెవిటి, అంధ యువతి బోస్టన్ లోని ‘పెర్కిన్స్ స్కూల్ ఫర్ ది బ్లైండ్’లో చదువుకున్న మహిళ కెల్లర్‌కు ఉపాధ్యాయినిగా నియమించబడింది. ఈమె పేరును పాఠశాల డైరెక్టర్ మైఖేల్ అనాగ్నాస్ గ్రాహమ్‌బెల్‌కు సూచించారు.

ఈమె బ్రెయిలీ లిపి ద్వారా ఆమెకు రాయడం, చదవడం నేర్పించింది. చేతి వ్రేళ్ళనుపయోగించి మనసులోని భావాలను ఎదుటివారికి అర్థమయ్యేట్లు చెప్పడం నేర్పించింది.

1936లో సుల్లివన్ మరణించే వరకు అన్ని విషయాలలోను హెలెన్ కెల్లర్‌కు అండదండగా ఉన్నారు. అప్పటివరకు కెల్లర్ విజయాల వెనుక సుల్లివన్ ఉండడం ఆమె అదృష్టం.

బోస్టన్ లోని ‘హోరేస్‌మన్ స్కూల్ ఫర్ ది డెఫ్’ లో సారాపుల్లర్ వద్ద వక్త పెదవులు, గొంతుపై వేళ్ళు ఉంచడం ద్వారా చదవడం అర్థం చేసుకోవడం నేర్చుకున్నారు.

తరువాత ఆంగ్లం, ఫ్రెంచి, లాటిన్, జర్మన్, గ్రీస్ భాషలను కూడా బ్రెయిలీ లిపిలో నేర్చుకున్నారు. ‘రైట్ హ్యూమన్ స్కూల్’, ‘కేంబ్రిడ్జి స్కూల్ ఫర్ యంగ్ లేడీస్’ లలో చదివారు. న్యూయార్క్ లోని రాడ్‌క్లిఫ్ కళాశాలలో చదివారు. 1904లో గ్రాడ్యుయేట్ పట్టాను తీసుకున్నారు. గ్రాడ్యుయేట్ డిగ్రీని తీసుకున్న తొలి మూగ, చెవిటి, అంధ యువతిగా రికార్డును సృష్టించారు.

1903లో రాడ్‌క్లిఫ్ కాలేజీలో చదువుతున్నప్పుడే తన జీవితానుభవాలను వ్రాయడం మొదలు పెట్టారు. 50 సంవత్సరాలు నిరంతరాయంగా రచనా వ్యాసంగంలో కొనసాగారు. ‘ది స్టోరీ ఆఫ్ మై లైఫ్’ అనే ఈ గ్రంథంలో 21 సంవత్సరాల వరకు గల ఈమె జీవిత చరిత్రను నిక్షిప్తం చేశారు.

గ్రోవర్ క్లీవ్‌లాండ్ నుండి లెండన్ బి. జాన్సన్ వరకూ అమెరికా అధ్యక్షులుగా పని చేసిన వారందరూ ఈమెను అమెరికా అధ్యక్ష కార్యాలయం వైట్ హౌస్‌కి ఆహ్వానించడం విశేషం.

మార్క్ ట్వైన్, అలెగ్జాండర్ గ్రాహమ్‌బెల్, విలియం జేమ్స్ వంటివారు ఈమెకు అత్యంత సన్నిహితులు.

1932లో స్కాట్లాండ్ ఎడ్యుకేషనల్ ఇన్‍స్టిట్యూట్ వారు సుల్లివన్, హెలెన్ కెల్లర్‌లకు సంయుక్తంగా గౌరవ ఫెలోషిఫ్‌ను అందించి గౌరవించారు.

బ్రెయిలీ లిపి ఈమెను మంచి రచయిత్రిగా తయారు చేసింది. అంధత్వం, చెవిటితనం, సామాజిక సమస్యలు, రాజకీయ అభిప్రాయాలు, మహిళల హక్కులను గురించి 500 వ్యాసాలను వ్రాశారు.

చాలా ఉపన్యాసాలు ఇచ్చారు. అనేక మంది వక్తల ఉపన్యాసాలను అవగాహన చేసుకుని ఇతరులకి తెలియజేసేవారు. దివ్యాంగుల అభివృద్ధి కోసం ఎన్నో వ్యాసాలను జాతీయ పత్రికలలో వ్రాశారు.

వక్తలు మాట్లాడుతున్నపుడు స్పీకర్ పైన మునివేళ్ళను ఉంచేవారు. స్పీకర్ నుండి వచ్చే ‘వైబ్రేషన్స్’ (ధ్వని తరంగాల) ఆధారంగా వారు మాట్లాడిన మాటలను పొల్లుపోకుండా బ్రెయిలీ లిపి ద్వారా తెలియజేసేది. ఈ ‘టాడోమా’ పద్ధతిలోనే ప్రపంచంలోని అనేక విషయాలను తెలుసుకుని బ్రెయిలీ లిపి ద్వారా వ్యాసాలు, గ్రంథాల రూపంలో వెలయించారు.

వివిధ సంస్థల ద్వారా సామాజిక సేవను అందించారీమె. 1920లో ‘అమెరికన్ సివిల్ లిబర్టీస్ యూనియన్’ ను స్థాపించారు. అమెరికన్ పౌరహక్కుల కార్యకర్తలు రోజర్‌నాష్, బాల్డ్విన్ వంటి వారితో కలిసి పనిచేశారు.

1915లో జార్జ్ ఎ.కెస్లర్ తో కలిసి ‘హెలెన్ కెల్లర్ ఇంటర్నేషనల్’ సంస్థను స్థాపించారు. ఈ సంస్థ దృష్టిలోపం, అంగవైకల్యం అంశాలను గురించి పరిశోధనలు చేసింది.

1924లో ‘అమెరికన్ ఫౌండేషన్ ఫర్ బ్లైండ్’ సంస్థకి సలహదారుగా పనిచేశారు. అత్యధిక చందాలను సేకరించే పనిని ఈమెకు అప్పగించారు. హెన్రీ ఫోర్డ్, జాన్.డి. రాక్‌ఫెల్లర్ వంటి అమెరికాలో పేరు పొందిన ధనవంతుల ద్వారా ఈ సంస్థ నిధులు పెరిగాయి. సుమారు 2 మిలియన్ల ఎండోమెంట్ ఫండ్‌ను సేకరించారు. పై సంస్థను విదేశాలలో స్థాపించారు. సుమారు 35 దేశాలలో ఆమె పర్యటించారు. ముఖ్యంగా చెవిటి వాళ్ళ గురించి దృష్టి సారించారు. విదేశాలలోని సంస్థలను ‘హెలెన్ కెల్లర్ ఇంటర్నేషనల్’గా మార్చి కార్యకలాపాలను నిర్వహించారు.

1955లో గ్లోబ్-గిర్డింగ్ పర్యటనలో భాగంగా భారతదేశాన్ని సందర్శించారు. ప్రధాని స్వర్గీయ జవహర్‌లాల్ నెహ్రూని కలిశారు.

ఈమె ఆత్మకథ ‘THE STORY OF MY LIFE’కు చాలా ప్రత్యేకతలున్నాయి. ఈ గ్రంథాన్ని అలెగ్జాండర్ గ్రాహమ్‌బెల్‌కు అంకితమిచ్చారు. 1903లో మొదటిసారి ప్రచురింపబడింది. సుమారు 50 భాషలలోకి అనువదించబడింది.

శ్రీ విలియం గిబ్సన్ 1957లో రంగస్థల నాటకంగా మలిచారు. 1959 లో బ్రాడ్‌వే నాటక ప్రదర్శనగా తయారయింది. 1962 లో ఈమె కథ హాలీవుడ్ చిత్రంగా తయారయింది. 1979లో ‘The Miracle Worker’ చిత్రంగా తీశారు. 2005లో ‘బ్లాక్’ అనే సినిమా ఈమె జీవితచరిత్ర ఆధారంగా నిర్మించబడింది. 1984లో ‘The Miracle Continues’ పేరుతో ఈమె జీవితచరిత్రను టి.వి.చిత్రంగా రూపొందించారు.

1919లో ఒక మూకీ చిత్రం ‘డెలివరెన్స్’ లో ఈమె కన్పించారు.

ఈమెకు వివిధ దేశాల విశ్వవిద్యాలయాలు గౌరవ డాక్టరేట్లను ప్రదానం చేశాయి. విద్య, మేధోసాధన, దివ్యాంగుల కోసం ప్రత్యేక వ్యాసాలు, గ్రంథాలు, నిధులు సేకరించి దివ్యాంగులకు సాయం చేయడం వంటి కార్యక్రమాలకు గాను ఈ డాక్టరేట్లు లభించాయి.

ఢిల్లీ, హార్వర్డ్, గ్లాస్గో, టెంపుల్, బెర్లిన్, విట్వాటర్‌రాండ్ మొదలయిన విశ్వవిద్యాలయాలు డాక్టరేట్లను అందించాయి.

ఈమె వ్రాసిన గ్రంథాలలో ముఖ్యమైనవి 1903లో ‘ద స్టోరీ ఆఫ్ మై లైఫ్’, ‘ఆప్టిమిజం’లు. 1908లో ‘ద వరల్డ్ ఐ లివ్ ఇన్’, 1938లో ‘హెలెన్ కెల్లర్స్ జర్నల్’, 1957లో ‘ద ఓపెన్ డోర్’ పేరు పొందినవి.

జర్మన్‌ యూదు రచయిత హెల్డెగార్డ్ జోహన్నా కేజర్ ఈమె జీవిత చరిత్రను వ్రాశారు. ఈమెకు ‘యునైటెడ్ స్టేట్స్ ప్రెసిడెన్షియల్ మెడల్ ఆఫ్ ఫ్రీడమ్’, ‘ఫ్రెంచ్ లెజియన్ ఆఫ్ ఆనర్’ లభించాయి. 1965లో జరిగిన ‘న్యూయార్క్ వరల్డ్ ఫెయిర్’లో ‘నేషనల్ ఉమెన్స్ హల్ ఆఫ్ ఫేమ్’గా ఎన్నికయిన 20 మందిలో ఒకరుగా ఎంపిక కావడం ఈమె జీవితంలో గొప్ప విజయం. 1960లో పులిట్జర్ బహుమతిని గెలుచుకున్నారు.

ఈమెకు అపుడప్పుడు స్ట్రోక్స్ వచ్చేవి. చివరకు 1968వ సంవత్సరం జూన్ 1వ తేదీన వెస్ట్‌పోర్ట్ లోని కనెక్టికట్‌లో తన ఆర్కా అని పిలవబడే ఇంట్లో మరణించారు.

శారీరకంగా ఏ లోపంలేని వారు చాలా సమయాన్ని వృథా చేసుకుని కాలక్షేపం చేస్తున్నారు. మూగ, గ్రుడ్డి, చెవిటి యువతి అయిన హెలెన్ కెల్లర్ వంటి వారు సాధించిన విజయాలను స్పూర్తిగా తీసుకుని జీవితాలను కొనసాగిస్తే పురోభివృద్ధి సాధించవచ్చు.

భారత తపాలాశాఖ 1980 జూన్ 27వ తేదీన ఈమె శతజయంతి సందర్భంగా 30 పైసల విలువతో ఒక స్టాంపును విడుదల చేసింది. ఈ స్టాంపు మీద సైడ్ ఫోజుతో హెలెన్ కెల్లర్ చిత్రం ముద్రించబడింది.

జూన్ 27వ తేదీ హెలెన్ కెల్లర్ జయంతి సందర్భంగా ఈ నివాళి.

Image Courtesy: Internet

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10 Comments

Jhansi Lakshmi

Marvellous Nagalaksmi Madam!!Great write up. హెలెన్ కెల్లర్ గురించి పిల్లలకి ఎప్పుడూ చెబుతా ఉంటా. బ్లాక్ మూవీ కూడా చూశాను..తన జీవిత కథ ఎంతో స్ఫూర్తిదాయకమైనది.అన్ని అవయువలు సక్రమంగా ఉన్నవాళ్లు తాము ఏమి సాధించలేకపోవాటానికి రకరకాల వంకలు చెబుతారు.లోకాన్నే చూడలేని ఆమె సాధించిన విజయం ఎంత గొప్పదో కదా?అవిడ గురించి ఇంత చక్కటి సమాచారాన్ని కూర్చి రాసినందుకు ధన్యవాదాలు

Rukmini sasi vangapandu

Excellent madam garu Helen Keller గురించి text books lo ఇచ్చిన information chala thakkuva mee artical ద్వారా chala thelusukunnanu It’s inspirational చక్కని వివరాలు మాకు అందింchina మీకు ధన్యవాదాలు

హెలెన్ కెల్లర్ ఆదర్శప్రాయుడు,ఆమె విజయం వెనుక ఎంతోమంది సహకారం వున్నా కెల్లర్ కృషి అసమాన్యం. అందుకే ఆమె అనేక రికార్డులు సృష్టించారు, అనేక విజయాలు సాధించారు. కెల్లర్ కు నా హృదయపూర్వక నివాళులు. వ్యాసాల ద్వారా కెల్లర్ లాంటి గొప్ప వారిని మాకు పరిచయం చేస్తున్నందుకు చాలా ధన్యవాదములు నాగలక్ష్మి గారూ…

ఉషారాణి పొలుకొండ

Nijam ga avayavalu anni pani chesthu khaali ga vunde vyakthulaku eeme story chakkati samadhanam ga vuntundhi. Excellent presentation madam…👏👏💐💐Intha goppa vyakthi ni gurinchina marenno vishayalanu maaku andinchinanduku ..Dhanyavadamulu madam🙏

Alluri Gouri Lakshmi

Helen keller వంటి వారి ప్రతిభ మనల్ని దిగ్భ్రమ కు గురి చేస్తుంది. మనమూ మన కృషీ aavaginjanta కదా అనిపిస్తుంది..thankful to Nagalakshmi garu..

కొల్లూరి సోమ శంకర్

హెలెన్ కెల్లర్ వ్యాసం గురించి గౌరీ లక్ష్మి గారన్నట్లు మనం ఆవగింజంత పని చేస్తున్న మేమో…. అంతే! జి. రమ

“హెలెన్ కెల్లర్ “గురించి మీరు రాసిన వ్యాసం స్ఫూర్తి దాయకం.మీ విషయసేకరణ,రచనా సంవిధానం సహజ సుందరం!అభినందనలు మేడమ్ !బహుశా మీరు ఉపాధ్యాయినులు కావచ్చు! 🙏🙏🙏💐🙏🙏🙏💐🙏🙏🙏 పేరిశెట్ల శివకుమార్, మైపాడు.

హెలెన్ కెల్లర్ గారి గురించి ఎంత చెప్పుకున్నా తక్కువేనండీ! పి. పావని

నాగలక్ష్మి మేడమ్! హెలెన్ కెల్లర్ గారిని గురించి వ్రాసిన మీ వ్యాసం ఎక్స్ లెంట్ ఎ. శ్రీవల్లి , అంకలేశ్వర్

Astounding woman. Despite her physical disability, she strives hard for humanity. Well written essay. Thanks and regards. I however would like see the movie A. Raghavendra Rao, Hyderabad

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చిరుజల్లు 10

ప్రణయ మురళి

సీతాకోకచిలుకలు

శ్రీవర తృతీయ రాజతరంగిణి-1

జోనరాజ ద్వితీయ రాజతరంగిణి-54

శ్రీవర తృతీయ రాజతరంగిణి-13

ముగ్గురి ప్రేమ విఫలంలో పరోక్ష కారకురాలి చుట్టూ తిరిగిన ప్రేమ గాథ ‘కాలం వెక్కిరించింది’

జ్ఞాపకాలు – వ్యాపకాలు – 12

కూరెళ్ళ జీవితం – సాహితీ వ్యక్తిత్వం

సుశీలమ్మ గారూ... ! కథను మీరు విశ్లేషించిన తీరు చాలా బాగుంది.‌ కథలోని ప్రాముఖ్యత ఉన్న పాత్రను కళ్ళముందు నిలబెట్టే గారు. తన తనువు, మాట తీరు,…

కథను చక్కగా రక్తి కట్టించారు. సంభాషణలు బాగున్నాయి. కథలోని అంశం ఈ కాలానికి తగినట్లు ఉంది. అలాగే కథాంతంలో మంచి సూచన చేసి శుభం కార్డు వేసేశారు.…

ధన్యవాదాలండీ

Madam మీ పాటల విశ్లేషణ బాగుంటుంది.... ప్రతి పదానికి అర్థం తెలుసుకోవాలని నా ప్రయత్నం ... మంచి హిందీ to తెలుగు డిక్షనరీ తెలియజేయండి... మీకు ఇబ్బంది…

రోహిణి గారు నమస్కారం. మీ స్పందన ఎంతో చక్కగా నా హృదయాన్ని తాకింది వారం వారం మీరు మీ అభిప్రాయాన్ని చక్కగా వెల్లడించడం నాకెంతో ఉపయోగపడుతోంది చదువరుల…

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What were Helen Keller’s accomplishments?

What was helen keller’s relationship with anne sullivan, why is helen keller important.

• What was education like in ancient Athens?
• How does social class affect education attainment?

Helen Keller

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• HistoryNet - Helen Keller
• Social Welfare History Project - Biography of Helen Keller
• American Foundation for the Blind - Helen Keller
• Encyclopedia of Alabama - Helen Keller
• National Park Service - Helen Keller
• Spartacus Educational - Biography of Helen Keller
• International Journal of Research and Thoughts - Two Astonishing Personalities Anne Sullivan and Helen Keller and Their Heroic Companionship
• National Women's History Museum - Biography of Helen Keller
• Helen Keller - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
• Helen Keller - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Who was Helen Keller?

Helen Keller was an American author and educator who was blind and deaf . Her education and training represent an extraordinary accomplishment in the education of persons with these disabilities.

Helen Keller’s personal accomplishment was developing skills never previously approached by any similarly disabled person. She also lectured on behalf of the American Foundation for the Blind, for which she later established a $2 million endowment fund. She then cofounded the American Civil Liberties Union with American civil rights activist Roger Nash Baldwin and others in 1920.

What books did Helen Keller write?

Helen Keller wrote about her life in several books, including The Story of My Life (1903), Optimism (1903), The World I Live In (1908), My Religion (1927), Helen Keller’s Journal (1938), and The Open Door (1957).

When did Helen Keller die?

Helen Keller died on June 1, 1968, in Easton, Connecticut, at the age of 87. She had bought her home in Easton in 1936 and called it Arcan Ridge, and it remained her permanent residence until her death.

Anne Sullivan became governess to six-year-old Helen Keller in March 1887. In 1888 the two began spending periods at the Perkins Institution, and Sullivan subsequently accompanied Keller to the Wright-Humason School in New York City , the Cambridge School for Young Ladies, and Radcliffe College . Sullivan was Keller’s constant companion at home and on lecture tours until Sullivan’s death in 1936.

Helen Keller was an author, activist, and educator whose lifetime of public advocacy for many communities and causes had lasting global impact. Keller, who became blind and deaf as a result of a childhood illness, learned to communicate with hearing people by having signals pressed into her palm, reading lips by way of touch, reading and writing Braille , and eventually speaking audibly. She helped to change perceptions of the deaf community and the blind community.

Helen Keller (born June 27, 1880, Tuscumbia , Alabama , U.S.—died June 1, 1968, Westport , Connecticut) was an American author and educator who was blind and deaf . Her education and training represent an extraordinary accomplishment in the education of persons with these disabilities.

Keller was afflicted at the age of 19 months with an illness (possibly scarlet fever ) that left her blind and deaf. She was examined by Alexander Graham Bell at the age of 6. As a result, he sent to her a 20-year-old teacher, Anne Sullivan (Macy) from the Perkins Institution for the Blind in Boston, which Bell’s son-in-law directed. Sullivan, a remarkable teacher, remained with Keller from March 1887 until her own death in October 1936.

Within months Keller had learned to feel objects and associate them with words spelled out by finger signals on her palm, to read sentences by feeling raised words on cardboard, and to make her own sentences by arranging words in a frame. During 1888–90 she spent winters at the Perkins Institution learning Braille . Then she began a slow process of learning to speak under Sarah Fuller of the Horace Mann School for the Deaf, also in Boston. She also learned to lip-read by placing her fingers on the lips and throat of the speaker while the words were simultaneously spelled out for her. At age 14 she enrolled in the Wright-Humason School for the Deaf in New York City , and at 16 she entered the Cambridge School for Young Ladies in Massachusetts. She won admission to Radcliffe College in 1900 and graduated cum laude in 1904.

Having developed skills never approached by any similarly disabled person, Keller began to write of blindness , a subject then taboo in women’s magazines because of the relationship of many cases to venereal disease . Edward W. Bok accepted her articles for the Ladies’ Home Journal , and other major magazines— The Century , McClure’s , and The Atlantic Monthly —followed suit.

She wrote of her life in several books, including The Story of My Life (1903), Optimism (1903), The World I Live In (1908), Light in My Darkness and My Religion (1927), Helen Keller’s Journal (1938), and The Open Door (1957). In 1913 she began lecturing (with the aid of an interpreter), primarily on behalf of the American Foundation for the Blind, for which she later established a $2 million endowment fund, and her lecture tours took her several times around the world. She cofounded the American Civil Liberties Union with American civil rights activist Roger Nash Baldwin and others in 1920. Her efforts to improve treatment of the deaf and the blind were influential in removing the disabled from asylums. She also prompted the organization of commissions for the blind in 30 states by 1937.

Keller’s childhood training with Sullivan was depicted in William Gibson’s play The Miracle Worker (1959), which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1960 and was subsequently made into a motion picture (1962), starring Anne Bancroft as Sullivan and Patty Duke as Keller, that won two Academy Awards .

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Helen Keller Biography IN Telugu

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Helen Keller’s Life and Legacy

Helen keller.

Helen Keller is known the world over as a symbol of courage in the face of overwhelming odds.  Yet she was so much more.  A woman of luminous intelligence, high ambition, and great accomplishment, she was driven by her deep compassion for others to devote her life to helping them overcome significant obstacles to living healthy and productive lives. 

A Living Legacy

Helen Keller Intl was  co-founded in 1915  by two extraordinary individuals, Helen Keller and George Kessler, to assist soldiers blinded during their service in the first World War. Since our founding, we have committed ourselves to continuing Helen’s work.

Guided by her fierce optimism, we have been working on the front lines of health for more than 100 years. We deliver life-changing health care to vulnerable families in places where the need is great, but access is limited. Our proven, science-based programs empower people to create opportunities in their own lives.

Today we prioritize the essential building blocks of good health, sound nutrition and clear vision, helping millions of people create lasting change in their own lives.

Our commitment to continuing Helen’s work is firmly rooted in her own belief:

The welfare of each is bound up in the welfare of all. — Helen Keller

A Brief Biographical Timeline

1880:  On June 27, Helen Keller is born in Tuscumbia, Alabama.

1882:   Following a bout of illness, Helen loses her sight and hearing.

1887:  Helen’s parents hire Anne Sullivan, a graduate of the Perkins School for the Blind, to be Helen’s tutor.  Anne begins by teaching Helen that objects have names and that she can use her fingers to spell them. Over time, Helen learns to communicate via sign language, to read and write in Braille, to touch-lip read, and to speak.

1900:  After attending schools in Boston and New York, Helen matriculates at Radcliffe College.

1903:  Helen’s first book, an autobiography called  The Story of My Life , is published.

1904:  Helen graduates  cum laude  from Radcliffe, becoming the first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree.

1915:  Helen, already a vocal advocate for people with disabilities, co-founds the American Foundation for Overseas Blind to support World War I veterans blinded in combat. This organization later becomes  Helen Keller Intl  and expands its mission to address the causes and consequences of blindness, malnutrition and poor health.

Help sustain — and build — Helen’s legacy.  Your donation now can transform the lives of vulnerable children and adults facing vision loss, malnutrition and diseases of poverty.

Help sustain—and build—Helen’s legacy.  Your donation now can transform the lives of vulnerable children and adults facing vision loss, malnutrition and diseases of poverty.

1920:  Helen helps found the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

1924:  Helen joins the American Foundation for the Blind. She serves as a spokesperson and ambassador for the foundation until her death.

1946:  Helen begins touring internationally on behalf of the American Foundation for Overseas Blind (see 1915 above), expanding her advocacy for people with vision impairment.  In 11 years, she will visit 35 countries on five continents.

1956:  Helen wins an Academy Award for a documentary film about her life.

1961:  Helen suffers a stroke and retires from public life.

1964:  Helen is awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Lyndon Johnson.

1968:  On June 1, Helen dies peacefully at her home in Connecticut.  Her ashes are interred at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC.

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Helen Keller

American educator Helen Keller overcame the adversity of being blind and deaf to become one of the 20th century's leading humanitarians as well as co-founder of the ACLU.

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(1880-1968)

Who Was Helen Keller?

Early life and family, loss of sight and hearing, keller's teacher, anne sullivan, 'the story of my life', social activism, 'the miracle worker' movie, awards and honors, quick facts:.

Helen Keller was an American educator, advocate for the blind and deaf and co-founder of the ACLU. Stricken by an illness at the age of 2, Keller was left blind and deaf. Beginning in 1887, Keller's teacher, Anne Sullivan, helped her make tremendous progress with her ability to communicate, and Keller went on to college, graduating in 1904. During her lifetime, she received many honors in recognition of her accomplishments.

Keller was born on June 27, 1880, in Tuscumbia, Alabama. Keller was the first of two daughters born to Arthur H. Keller and Katherine Adams Keller. Keller's father had served as an officer in the Confederate Army during the Civil War . She also had two older stepbrothers.

The family was not particularly wealthy and earned income from their cotton plantation. Later, Arthur became the editor of a weekly local newspaper, the North Alabamian .

Keller was born with her senses of sight and hearing, and started speaking when she was just 6 months old. She started walking at the age of 1.

Keller lost both her sight and hearing at just 19 months old. In 1882, she contracted an illness — called "brain fever" by the family doctor — that produced a high body temperature. The true nature of the illness remains a mystery today, though some experts believe it might have been scarlet fever or meningitis.

Within a few days after the fever broke, Keller's mother noticed that her daughter didn't show any reaction when the dinner bell was rung, or when a hand was waved in front of her face.

As Keller grew into childhood, she developed a limited method of communication with her companion, Martha Washington, the young daughter of the family cook. The two had created a type of sign language. By the time Keller was 7, they had invented more than 60 signs to communicate with each other.

During this time, Keller had also become very wild and unruly. She would kick and scream when angry, and giggle uncontrollably when happy. She tormented Martha and inflicted raging tantrums on her parents. Many family relatives felt she should be institutionalized.

Keller worked with her teacher Anne Sullivan for 49 years, from 1887 until Sullivan's death in 1936. In 1932, Sullivan experienced health problems and lost her eyesight completely. A young woman named Polly Thomson, who had begun working as a secretary for Keller and Sullivan in 1914, became Keller's constant companion upon Sullivan's death.

Looking for answers and inspiration, Keller's mother came across a travelogue by Charles Dickens, American Notes, in 1886. She read of the successful education of another deaf and blind child, Laura Bridgman, and soon dispatched Keller and her father to Baltimore, Maryland to see specialist Dr. J. Julian Chisolm.

After examining Keller, Chisolm recommended that she see Alexander Graham Bell , the inventor of the telephone, who was working with deaf children at the time. Bell met with Keller and her parents, and suggested that they travel to the Perkins Institute for the Blind in Boston, Massachusetts.

There, the family met with the school's director, Michael Anaganos. He suggested Keller work with one of the institute's most recent graduates, Sullivan.

On March 3, 1887, Sullivan went to Keller's home in Alabama and immediately went to work. She began by teaching six-year-old Keller finger spelling, starting with the word "doll," to help Keller understand the gift of a doll she had brought along. Other words would follow.

At first, Keller was curious, then defiant, refusing to cooperate with Sullivan's instruction. When Keller did cooperate, Sullivan could tell that she wasn't making the connection between the objects and the letters spelled out in her hand. Sullivan kept working at it, forcing Keller to go through the regimen.

As Keller's frustration grew, the tantrums increased. Finally, Sullivan demanded that she and Keller be isolated from the rest of the family for a time, so that Keller could concentrate only on Sullivan's instruction. They moved to a cottage on the plantation.

In a dramatic struggle, Sullivan taught Keller the word "water"; she helped her make the connection between the object and the letters by taking Keller out to the water pump, and placing Keller's hand under the spout. While Sullivan moved the lever to flush cool water over Keller's hand, she spelled out the word w-a-t-e-r on Keller's other hand. Keller understood and repeated the word in Sullivan's hand. She then pounded the ground, demanding to know its "letter name." Sullivan followed her, spelling out the word into her hand. Keller moved to other objects with Sullivan in tow. By nightfall, she had learned 30 words.

In 1905, Sullivan married John Macy, an instructor at Harvard University, a social critic and a prominent socialist. After the marriage, Sullivan continued to be Keller's guide and mentor. When Keller went to live with the Macys, they both initially gave Keller their undivided attention. Gradually, however, Anne and John became distant to each other, as Anne's devotion to Keller continued unabated. After several years, the couple separated, though were never divorced.

In 1890, Keller began speech classes at the Horace Mann School for the Deaf in Boston. She would toil for 25 years to learn to speak so that others could understand her.

From 1894 to 1896, Keller attended the Wright-Humason School for the Deaf in New York City. There, she worked on improving her communication skills and studied regular academic subjects.

Around this time, Keller became determined to attend college. In 1896, she attended the Cambridge School for Young Ladies, a preparatory school for women.

As her story became known to the general public, Keller began to meet famous and influential people. One of them was the writer Mark Twain , who was very impressed with her. They became friends. Twain introduced her to his friend Henry H. Rogers, a Standard Oil executive.

Rogers was so impressed with Keller's talent, drive and determination that he agreed to pay for her to attend Radcliffe College. There, she was accompanied by Sullivan, who sat by her side to interpret lectures and texts. By this time, Keller had mastered several methods of communication, including touch-lip reading, Braille, speech, typing and finger-spelling.

Keller graduated, cum laude, from Radcliffe College in 1904, at the age of 24.

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With the help of Sullivan and Macy, Sullivan's future husband, Keller wrote her first book, The Story of My Life . Published in 1905, the memoirs covered Keller's transformation from childhood to 21-year-old college student.

'The Story of My Life' by Helen Keller

Throughout the first half of the 20th century, Keller tackled social and political issues, including women's suffrage, pacifism, birth control and socialism.

After college, Keller set out to learn more about the world and how she could help improve the lives of others. News of her story spread beyond Massachusetts and New England. Keller became a well-known celebrity and lecturer by sharing her experiences with audiences, and working on behalf of others living with disabilities. She testified before Congress, strongly advocating to improve the welfare of blind people.

In 1915, along with renowned city planner George Kessler, she co-founded Helen Keller International to combat the causes and consequences of blindness and malnutrition. In 1920, she helped found the American Civil Liberties Union .

When the American Federation for the Blind was established in 1921, Keller had an effective national outlet for her efforts. She became a member in 1924, and participated in many campaigns to raise awareness, money and support for the blind. She also joined other organizations dedicated to helping those less fortunate, including the Permanent Blind War Relief Fund (later called the American Braille Press).

Soon after she graduated from college, Keller became a member of the Socialist Party, most likely due in part to her friendship with John Macy. Between 1909 and 1921, she wrote several articles about socialism and supported Eugene Debs, a Socialist Party presidential candidate. Her series of essays on socialism, entitled "Out of the Dark," described her views on socialism and world affairs.

It was during this time that Keller first experienced public prejudice about her disabilities. For most of her life, the press had been overwhelmingly supportive of her, praising her courage and intelligence. But after she expressed her socialist views, some criticized her by calling attention to her disabilities. One newspaper, the Brooklyn Eagle , wrote that her "mistakes sprung out of the manifest limitations of her development."

In 1946, Keller was appointed counselor of international relations for the American Foundation of Overseas Blind. Between 1946 and 1957, she traveled to 35 countries on five continents.

In 1955, at age 75, Keller embarked on the longest and most grueling trip of her life: a 40,000-mile, five-month trek across Asia. Through her many speeches and appearances, she brought inspiration and encouragement to millions of people.

Keller's autobiography, The Story of My Life , was used as the basis for 1957 television drama The Miracle Worker .

In 1959, the story was developed into a Broadway play of the same title, starring Patty Duke as Keller and Anne Bancroft as Sullivan. The two actresses also performed those roles in the 1962 award-winning film version of the play.

During her lifetime, she received many honors in recognition of her accomplishments, including the Theodore Roosevelt Distinguished Service Medal in 1936, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964, and election to the Women's Hall of Fame in 1965.

Keller also received honorary doctoral degrees from Temple University and Harvard University and from the universities of Glasgow, Scotland; Berlin, Germany; Delhi, India; and Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. She was named an Honorary Fellow of the Educational Institute of Scotland.

Keller died in her sleep on June 1, 1968, just a few weeks before her 88th birthday. Keller suffered a series of strokes in 1961 and spent the remaining years of her life at her home in Connecticut.

During her remarkable life, Keller stood as a powerful example of how determination, hard work, and imagination can allow an individual to triumph over adversity. By overcoming difficult conditions with a great deal of persistence, she grew into a respected and world-renowned activist who labored for the betterment of others.

FULL NAME: Helen Adams Keller BORN: June 27, 1880 BIRTHPLACE: Tuscumbia, AL DIED: June 1, 1968 ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Cancer

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• Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow.
• One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar.
• Remember, no effort that we make to attain something beautiful is ever lost. Sometime, somewhere, somehow we shall find that which we seek.
• Gradually from naming an object we advance step by step until we have traversed the vast distance between our first stammered syllable and the sweep of thought in a line of Shakespeare.
• If it is true that the violin is the most perfect of musical instruments, then Greek is the violin of human thought.
• A happy life consists not in the absence, but in the mastery of hardships.
• The two greatest characters in the 19th century are Napoleon and Helen Keller. Napoleon tried to conquer the world by physical force and failed. Helen tried to conquer the world by power of mind — and succeeded!” (Mark Twain)
• The bulk of the world’s knowledge is an imaginary construction.
• We differ, blind and seeing, one from another, not in our senses, but in the use we make of them, in the imagination and courage with which we seek wisdom beyond the senses.
• [T]he mystery of language was revealed to me. I knew then that "w-a-t-e-r" meant the wonderful cool something that was flowing over my hand. That living word awakened my soul, gave it light, hope, joy, set it free!
• It is more difficult to teach ignorance to think than to teach an intelligent blind man to see the grandeur of Niagara.
• Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn, whatever state I may be in, therein to be content.

The Biography.com staff is a team of people-obsessed and news-hungry editors with decades of collective experience. We have worked as daily newspaper reporters, major national magazine editors, and as editors-in-chief of regional media publications. Among our ranks are book authors and award-winning journalists. Our staff also works with freelance writers, researchers, and other contributors to produce the smart, compelling profiles and articles you see on our site. To meet the team, visit our About Us page: https://www.biography.com/about/a43602329/about-us

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Helen Keller Biography

• Helen Keller Early Childhood
• Meeting Anne Sullivan
• Helen Keller's First Words
• Education and Literary Career
• Political and Social Activism
• Worldwide Celebrity

Where Was Helen Keller Born?

Helen Adams Keller was born a healthy child in Tuscumbia, Alabama, on June 27, 1880. Her parents were Kate Adams Keller and Colonel Arthur Keller .

On her father's side she was descended from Colonel Alexander Spottswood, a colonial governor of Virginia, and on her mother's side, she was related to a number of prominent New England families. Helen's father, Arthur Keller, was a captain in the Confederate army. The family lost most of its wealth during the Civil War and lived modestly.

After the war, Captain Keller edited a local newspaper, the North Alabamian, and in 1885, under the Cleveland administration, he was appointed Marshal of North Alabama.

At the age of 19 months, Helen became deaf and blind as a result of an unknown illness, perhaps rubella or scarlet fever. As Helen grew from infancy into childhood, she became wild and unruly.

When Did Helen Keller Meet Anne Sullivan?

As she so often remarked as an adult, her life changed on March 3, 1887. On that day, Anne Mansfield Sullivan came to Tuscumbia to be her teacher.

She was just 14 years older than her pupil Helen, and she too suffered from serious vision problems. Anne underwent many botched operations at a young age before her sight was partially restored.

Anne's success with Helen remains an extraordinary and remarkable story and is best known to people because of the film The Miracle Worker. The film correctly depicted Helen as an unruly, spoiled—but very bright—child who tyrannized the household with her temper tantrums.

Anne believed that the key to reaching Helen was to teach her obedience and love. She saw the need to discipline, but not crush, the spirit of her young charge. As a result, within a week of her arrival, she had gained permission to remove Helen from the main house and live alone with her in the nearby cottage. They remained there for two weeks.

Anne began her task of teaching Helen by manually signing into the child's hand. Anne had brought a doll that the children at Perkins had made for her to take to Helen. By spelling "d-o-l-l" into the child's hand, she hoped to teach her to connect objects with letters.

Helen quickly learned to form the letters correctly and in the correct order, but did not know she was spelling a word, or even that words existed. In the days that followed, she learned to spell a great many more words in this uncomprehending way.

What Were Helen Keller's First Words?

On April 5, 1887, less than a month after her arrival in Tuscumbia, Anne sought to resolve the confusion her pupil was having between the nouns "mug" and "milk," which Helen confused with the verb "drink."

Anne took Helen to the water pump outside and put Helen's hand under the spout. As the cool water gushed over one hand, she spelled into the other hand the word "w-a-t-e-r" first slowly, then rapidly. Suddenly, the signals had meaning in Helen's mind. She knew that "water" meant the wonderful cool substance flowing over her hand.

Quickly, she stopped and touched the earth and demanded its letter name and by nightfall she had learned 30 words.

Helen quickly proceeded to master the alphabet, both manual and in raised print for blind readers, and gained facility in reading and writing. In Helen's handwriting, many round letters look square, but you can easily read everything.

In 1890, when she was just 10, she expressed a desire to learn to speak; Anne took Helen to see Sarah Fuller at the Horace Mann School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Boston. Fuller gave Helen 11 lessons, after which Anne taught Helen.

Throughout her life, however, Helen remained dissatisfied with her spoken voice, which was hard to understand.

Helen's extraordinary abilities and her teacher's unique skills were noticed by Alexander Graham Bell and Mark Twain, two giants of American culture. Twain declared, "The two most interesting characters of the 19th century are Napoleon and Helen Keller."

The closeness of Helen and Anne's relationship led to accusations that Helen's ideas were not her own. Famously, at the age of 11, Helen was accused of plagiarism. Both Bell and Twain, who were friends and supporters of Helen and Anne, flew to the defense of both pupil and teacher and mocked their detractors. Read a letter from Mark Twain to Helen lamenting "that 'plagiarism' farce."

Helen Keller's Education and Literary Career

From a very young age, Helen was determined to go to college. In 1898, she entered the Cambridge School for Young Ladies to prepare for Radcliffe College. She entered Radcliffe in the fall of 1900 and received a Bachelor of Arts degree cum laude in 1904, the first deafblind person to do so.

The achievement was as much Anne's as it was Helen's. Anne's eyes suffered immensely from reading everything that she then signed into her pupil's hand. Anne continued to labor by her pupil's side until her death in 1936, at which time Polly Thomson took over the task. Polly had joined Helen and Anne in 1914 as a secretary.

While still a student at Radcliffe, Helen began a writing career that was to continue throughout her life. In 1903, her autobiography, The Story of My Life , was published. This had appeared in serial form the previous year in Ladies' Home Journal magazine.

Her autobiography has been translated into 50 languages and remains in print to this day. Helen's other published works include Optimism , an essay; The World I Live In; The Song of the Stone Wall ; Out of the Dark; My Religion; Midstream—My Later Life; Peace at Eventide; Helen Keller in Scotland; Helen Keller's Journal; Let Us Have Faith; Teacher, Anne Sullivan Macy; and The Open Door . In addition, she was a frequent contributor to magazines and newspapers.

The Helen Keller Archives contain over 475 speeches and essays that she wrote on topics such as faith, blindness prevention, birth control, the rise of fascism in Europe, and atomic energy. Helen used a braille typewriter to prepare her manuscripts and then copied them on a regular typewriter.

Helen Keller's Political and Social Activism

Helen saw herself as a writer first—her passport listed her profession as "author." It was through the medium of the typewritten word that Helen communicated with Americans and ultimately with thousands across the globe.

From an early age, she championed the rights of the underdog and used her skills as a writer to speak truth to power. A pacifist, she protested U.S. involvement in World War I. A committed socialist, she took up the cause of workers' rights. She was also a tireless advocate for women's suffrage and an early member of the American Civil Liberties Union.

Helen's ideals found their purest, most lasting expression in her work for the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) . Helen joined AFB in 1924 and worked for the organization for over 40 years.

The foundation provided her with a global platform to advocate for the needs of people with vision loss and she wasted no opportunity. As a result of her travels across the United States, state commissions for the blind were created, rehabilitation centers were built, and education was made accessible to those with vision loss.

Helen's optimism and courage were keenly felt at a personal level on many occasions, but perhaps never more so than during her visits to veteran's hospitals for soldiers returning from duty during World War II.

Helen was very proud of her assistance in the formation in 1946 of a special service for deaf-blind persons. Her message of faith and strength through adversity resonated with those returning from war injured and maimed.

Helen Keller was as interested in the welfare of blind persons in other countries as she was for those in her own country; conditions in poor and war-ravaged nations were of particular concern.

Helen's ability to empathize with the individual citizen in need as well as her ability to work with world leaders to shape global policy on vision loss made her a supremely effective ambassador for disabled persons worldwide. Her active participation in this area began as early as 1915, when the Permanent Blind War Relief Fund, later called the American Braille Press, was founded. She was a member of its first board of directors.

In 1946, when the American Braille Press became the American Foundation for Overseas Blind (now Helen Keller International), Helen was appointed counselor on international relations. It was then that she began her globe-circling tours on behalf of those with vision loss.

Helen Keller's Worldwide Celebrity

During seven trips between 1946 and 1957, she visited 35 countries on five continents. She met with world leaders such as Winston Churchill, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Golda Meir.

In 1948, she was sent to Japan as America's first Goodwill Ambassador by General Douglas MacArthur. Her visit was a huge success; up to two million Japanese came out to see her and her appearance drew considerable attention to the plight of Japan's blind and disabled population.

In 1955, when she was 75 years old, she embarked on one of her longest and most grueling journeys: a 40,000-mile, five-month-long tour through Asia.

Wherever she traveled, she brought encouragement to millions of blind people, and many of the efforts to improve conditions for those with vision loss outside the United States can be traced directly to her visits.

Helen was famous from the age of 8 until her death in 1968. Her wide range of political, cultural, and intellectual interests and activities ensured that she knew people in all spheres of life.

She counted leading personalities of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries among her friends and acquaintances. These included Eleanor Roosevelt, Will Rogers, Albert Einstein, Emma Goldman, Eugene Debs, Charlie Chaplin, John F. Kennedy, Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Katharine Cornell, and Jo Davidson to name but a few.

She was honored around the globe and garnered many awards. She received honorary doctoral degrees from Temple and Harvard Universities in the United States; Glasgow and Berlin Universities in Europe; Delhi University in India; and Witwatersrand University in South Africa. She also received an honorary Academy Award in 1955 as the inspiration for the documentary about her life, Helen Keller in Her Story.

Helen Keller's Later Life

Helen suffered a stroke in 1960, and from 1961 onwards, she lived quietly at Arcan Ridge, her home in Westport, Connecticut, one of the four main places she lived during her lifetime. (The others were Tuscumbia, Alabama; Wrentham, Massachusetts; and Forest Hills, New York).

She made her last major public appearance in 1961 at a Washington, D.C., Lions Clubs International Foundation meeting. At that meeting, she received the Lions Humanitarian Award for her lifetime of service to humanity and for providing the inspiration for the adoption by Lions Clubs International Foundation of their sight conservation and aid to blind programs.

During that visit to Washington, she also called on President John F. Kennedy at the White House. President Kennedy was just one in a long line of presidents Helen had met. In her lifetime, she had met all of the presidents since Grover Cleveland.

Helen Keller died on June 1, 1968, at Arcan Ridge, a few weeks short of her 88th birthday. Her ashes were placed next to her companions, Anne Sullivan Macy and Polly Thomson, in St. Joseph's Chapel of Washington Cathedral.

Senator Lister Hill of Alabama gave a eulogy during the public memorial service. He said, "She will live on, one of the few, the immortal names not born to die. Her spirit will endure as long as man can read and stories can be told of the woman who showed the world there are no boundaries to courage and faith."

Books: A true story

Book reviews and some (mostly funny) true stories of my life.

Book Review: The Story of My Life by Helen Keller

October 23, 2014 By Jessica Filed Under: Book Review 35 Comments

The Story of My Life

An American classic rediscovered by each generation,  The Story of My Life  is Helen Keller’s account of her triumph over deafness and blindness. Popularized by the stage play and movie The Miracle Worker, Keller’s story has become a symbol of hope for people all over the world.  This book–published when Keller was only twenty-two–portrays the wild child who is locked in the dark and silent prison of her own body. With an extraordinary immediacy, Keller reveals her frustrations and rage, and takes the reader on the unforgettable journey of her education and breakthroughs into the world of communication. From the moment Keller recognizes the word “water” when her teacher finger-spells the letters, we share her triumph as “that living word awakened my soul, gave it light, hope, joy, set it free!” An unparalleled chronicle of courage,  The Story of My Life  remains startlingly fresh and vital more than a century after its first publication, a timeless testament to an indomitable will.

The Story of My Life by Helen Keller is a beautiful memoir about the power of love, language, and learning.  It was sad and humbling to hear Helen describe how desperate she was to communicate with people.  Since Helen was deaf and blind, she would go into a rage after being so frustrated that no one could understand her.  That really struck home with me.  In college, I babysat a 5 year old boy who couldn’t talk because he had cerebral palsy.  He could answer yes or no to my questions by shaking or nodding his head.  There were times when I asked every question I could think of and he would break down in tears of frustration – just like Helen Keller described.  It was heartbreaking to see.  When the boy I babysat went to school and learned more complex sign language, he lit up.  I still remember the first time he was able to tell me a story.  He was absolutely glowing with joy.  Helen Keller’s story of learning was very touching to me since it similar to the experience that the boy I knew had.

How she was able to learn language was very interesting to read about since she was old to enough to remember the experience of understanding words for the first time.  Her teacher, Annie Sullivan, used a method of teaching with Helen that had never been done before.   The pedagogy behind how Annie taught language to someone who couldn’t hear or see was fascinating.  She had to break down and really think about how kids normally learn language and translate it into the senses that Helen had access to.  She realized that kids acquire language through imitation and through hearing it all day long every day.  So Annie would spell words into Helen’s hand all day long about everything they were doing even though Helen didn’t know what the words meant yet.  Helen learned that words represented the things that she could touch.  It was a bittersweet moment when Annie tries to teach Helen what love is and Helen can’t understand why her teacher won’t show it to her.

…how happy your little Helen was when her teacher explained to her that the best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen nor even touched, but just felt in the heart. -Helen Keller, in a letter written to Rev. Phillips Brooks, June 8, 1891.

Before reading this, I had never realized how important books would be to Helen Keller.  They were a huge part of how she experienced a world that she couldn’t see or hear.   She talked about books as if they were her friends.

I have not shown how much I have depended on books not only for pleasure and for the wisdom they bring to all who read, but also for that knowledge which comes to others through their eyes and their ears. Indeed, books have meant so much more in my education than in that of others … – Helen Keller, The Story of My Life , Chapter 21

There was a huge list of books that she read.  You know me.  Of course I wrote them all down.

Books Helen Keller Read

• As You Like It By William Shakespeare
• Speech on Conciliation with America by Edmund Burke
•  Life of Samuel Johnson by Thomas Macaulay
• Child’s History of England by Charles Dickens
• The Arabian Nights
• The Swiss Family Robinson
• The Pilgrim’s Progress
• Robinson Crusoe
• Little Women
• Treasure Island
• Jungle Book

Because reading had such an influence on her, she often described things the way that someone could see would.  She would describe trees as green even though she had never seen the color green because that’s what books described them as.  That being said, I noticed that a lot of her descriptions – especially of nature – centered on their scent and feel.   Also, I want to write book reviews the way that Helen Keller does.

The “Iliad” is beautiful with all the truth, and grace and simplicity of a wonderfully childlike people while the “Aeneid” is more stately and reserved. It is like a beautiful maiden, who always lived in a palace, surrounded by a magnificent court; while the “Iliad” is like a splendid youth, who has had the earth for his playground. – Helen Keller, in a letter to Mrs. Laurence Hutton, October 23, 1898

Helen desperately wanted to go to college but practical things made it extremely difficult.  She struggled with being able to even take tests since they had to be dictated to her.  Books weren’t available in braille quickly enough and she would fall behind in classes. Lectures had to be written down in advance for her to follow along.  It makes me appreciate not only my education but the technology today that allows equal access to books for people with disabilities.  I just wanted to travel back in time and make her books because they were so hard to get in braille!  As much as Helen loved books, she hated tests.  Like really, really hated them.  She describes the feeling of forgetting an answer on a test perfectly.

You are sure it is somewhere in your mind near the top—you saw it there the other day when you were looking up the beginnings of the Reformation. But where is it now? You fish out all manner of odds and ends of knowledge—revolutions, schisms, massacres, systems of government; but Huss—where is he? You are amazed at all the things you know which are not on the examination paper. – Helen Keller, The Story of My Life , Chapter 20

She talks about the administration of the school and how they sometimes unintentionally made things even more difficult for her.  But instead of letting it frustrate her, she felt accomplished that not only had she gotten an education but she had overcome the challenges in getting one as well.

Overall, it’s an amazing story of overcoming difficult trials and making the best of what is given to us.

Content Rating : None. Clean read.

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About Helen Keller

Helen Keller would not be bound by conditions. Rendered deaf and blind at 19 months by scarlet fever, she learned to read (in several languages) and even speak, eventually graduating with honors from Radcliffe College in 1904, where as a student she wrote The Story of My Life. That she accomplished all of this in an age when few women attended college and the disabled were often relegated to the background, spoken of only in hushed tones, is remarkable. But Keller's many other achievements are impressive by any standard: she authored 13 books, wrote countless articles, and devoted her life to social reform. An active and effective suffragist, pacifist, and socialist (the latter association earned her an FBI file), she lectured on behalf of disabled people everywhere. She also helped start several foundations that continue to improve the lives of the deaf and blind around the world.

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• Classics Club
• eBook Challenge 2014
• TBR Pile 2014

October 23, 2014 at 12:26 pm

I remember stumbling upon this book when I was reading the “www” trilogy by Robert J. Sawyer. The protagonist is blind and Helen Keller is an inspirational figure to her. At the time, I check “The Story of my Life” at the library and read the few first pages. I liked it. I really need to find time to read it all!

October 23, 2014 at 2:14 pm

Wow, what an amazing book. I would also love to write book reviews the way Helen Keller did. So beautiful.

May 1, 2020 at 12:51 am

yes this book change my life one day i am also riting a book about my life thank you helen keller to give this beautyful book to us…….

October 23, 2014 at 5:11 pm

I love this book!

September 25, 2017 at 10:45 pm

I just loved the book , it inspire me to a great extent I will always thank helean keller for inspiring me…..

May 20, 2018 at 2:40 am

October 25, 2014 at 4:48 pm

I love the list of books she read! So awesome! I read this when I was in middle school but it would be fun to read again!

June 5, 2015 at 9:43 am

i luv the way of describing the nature and how helen struggled in her life.the book was jst awsm that i ever read………

June 4, 2016 at 8:30 pm

And I’m read is book for my school project.

June 6, 2015 at 2:18 am

i have read this book this book is very infuensive .helen keller have influnced many like her

June 6, 2015 at 5:54 am

Well! I had an project of english on review of “the story of my life” just before i was thinking oh! Such a boring novel because i was not having an idea but i don’t know how but the way i started reading ,my eyes filled with tears because i have a elder sister who is deaf , i can understand how ridiculous how tough the life is when you are not even able to listen . And so, i so damn love this novel , :)

June 9, 2015 at 6:11 am

I like this book so much…..!!!!!

June 24, 2015 at 2:38 am

I love this book. Its amazing.

June 30, 2015 at 6:42 am

I read this book with pleasure and I have fall in the love of story and its help in English project

August 9, 2015 at 2:07 pm

it is an awesome book!

October 26, 2015 at 9:03 am

My favourite book

January 13, 2016 at 10:51 am

This was such an inspiring novel……it taught me that we need to be optimstic!!

May 28, 2016 at 10:36 pm

I had read this book and I love this book very much

June 4, 2016 at 8:27 pm

This novel was inspiring. This novel was awesome and it is my favorite book.

June 14, 2016 at 6:22 am

THIS BOOK IS VERY INSPIRING. I LOVE THIS BOOK.

June 21, 2016 at 4:53 am

Its too interseting ……i love this book…

June 29, 2016 at 5:44 am

i just love it…..

June 30, 2016 at 7:25 am

Nice book which touch my heart

July 17, 2016 at 6:04 am

Love this book ..

August 16, 2016 at 5:03 am

Good and awesome novel!!!!

August 16, 2016 at 7:35 am

Its one of my fav books

September 8, 2016 at 5:15 am

this is a so beautiful book. i like it.

October 21, 2016 at 7:45 am

This is very best

January 31, 2017 at 9:12 am

awesome…….

June 10, 2017 at 5:41 am

It’s a very nice book

June 11, 2017 at 6:53 am

I love the way of describing the nature and how Helen struggled in her life. The book was just awesome and I can read it every time……

September 23, 2017 at 4:51 am

awsome book for the future generations

May 18, 2018 at 2:36 am

I love this novel

June 20, 2018 at 12:40 am

July 4, 2018 at 3:05 am

I like this book so much….

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Helen Keller Biography

Table of Contents

Helen Keller’s life is a remarkable tale of overcoming great challenges. Born on June 27, 1880 , in Tuscumbia, Alabama , she faced a life-altering situation at just 19 months old when an illness left her both deaf and blind. Despite these significant obstacles, Helen Keller became a celebrated author, a passionate advocate for disability rights, a political activist, and an inspiring lecturer.

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Biography of Helen Keller is not just about her disabilities; it is also about her incredible journey from a world of isolation to one filled with education and achievement. With the help of her devoted teacher, Anne Sullivan, Keller learned to communicate and express herself. This relationship highlights the importance of perseverance and the profound impact that support and education can have on a person’s life.

This biography will explore various aspects of Helen Keller’s life, including her numerous accomplishments, influential works, and the lasting legacy she left behind. From her early struggles to her later successes, we will provide a brief biography of Helen Keller that captures the essence of her spirit and determination.

Key Information:

• About Helen Keller : A pioneer in advocating for the rights of people with disabilities.
• Helen Keller Death : She passed away on June 1, 1968, but her influence continues to inspire many.
• Helen Keller Information : Her life story is one of resilience and hope, making her a symbol of strength for individuals facing similar challenges.

Helen Keller Early Life and Education

Helen Keller was born to Arthur H. Keller and Kate Adams Keller. Her early life changed dramatically when an illness, likely scarlet fever or meningitis, left her both deaf and blind. This led to a challenging childhood filled with frustration and isolation. However, everything changed when Anne Sullivan, a teacher from the Perkins Institute for the Blind, arrived in March 1887. Sullivan used innovative methods to teach Keller to communicate, starting with the famous moment when she understood the word “water” spelled into her hand.

Key Milestones in Helen Keller’s Life

Helen Keller Impact and Legacy

Keller’s education at the Perkins Institute, the Wright-Humason School for the Deaf, and later Radcliffe College, where she graduated cum laude in 1904, is a major highlight of this helen keller brief biography . She authored several books, including “The Story of My Life,” “The World I Live In,” and “Out of the Dark,” which shared her insights on faith, blindness, and social issues.

Helen Keller’s advocacy went beyond her personal achievements. She worked with organizations like the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), delivering speeches and lectures worldwide to raise awareness about the rights and capabilities of people with disabilities. Her efforts significantly improved conditions and perceptions of the disabled community.

Additionally, Keller was involved in political and social issues, supporting women’s suffrage, labor rights, and pacifism. Her commitment to social justice was strong, even when her views were controversial. Her life and work earned her numerous honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964 and induction into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1965.

Helen Keller’s biography is a powerful narrative of overcoming severe physical limitations to achieve greatness. Her legacy continues to inspire and educate through the Helen Keller Archives at the American Foundation for the Blind and numerous schools and organizations named in her honor.

Helen Keller Education and Breakthrough

In 1887, Keller’s life changed when Anne Sullivan, her teacher and lifelong companion, entered her world. Sullivan, partially blind herself, used innovative techniques to teach Keller. The breakthrough came when Sullivan spelled “water” into Keller’s hand while running water over her other hand. This moment marked the beginning of Keller’s extraordinary educational journey.

Keller later attended the Perkins Institute for the Blind, the Wright-Humason School for the Deaf, and the Cambridge School for Young Ladies. In 1900, she entered Radcliffe College, becoming the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1904.

Helen Keller Husband

Helen Keller never married, although she had many close friends and confidants throughout her life. Her deep bond with Anne Sullivan was a cornerstone of her personal and professional achievements. Sullivan’s husband, John Macy, also played a significant role in Keller’s life, assisting with her education and career.

Also Read: List of Biographies

Helen Keller’s Remarkable Works

Helen Keller was a prolific writer who authored many books and essays. Her most famous work, “The Story of My Life,” published in 1903, tells the story of her early years and her education with Anne Sullivan. Other notable writings include “The World I Live In,” “Out of the Dark,” and “Midstream: My Later Life.” Keller’s works provided a unique perspective on the challenges and successes of living with disabilities.

Helen Kelle Achievements and Accolades

Helen Keller’s accomplishments extend beyond her literary contributions. She was a passionate advocate for people with disabilities, co-founding the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in 1920. Keller traveled extensively, giving lectures and raising awareness about the rights of people with disabilities. Her efforts significantly influenced how society viewed and treated individuals with disabilities.

Keller received numerous honors for her work, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964, one of the United States’ highest civilian awards. In 1965, she was elected to the National Women’s Hall of Fame, recognizing her as an influential woman in American history.

Helen Kelle – A Lasting Legacy

Helen Keller’s legacy endures as a symbol of courage, determination, and the transformative power of education. Her life’s work continues to inspire and advocate for the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities worldwide. Through her writings and advocacy, Keller demonstrated that with perseverance and support, no challenge is too great to overcome.

Helen Keller’s biography is a story of remarkable achievements against tremendous odds. Her life exemplifies the impact of resilience, education, and advocacy in overcoming barriers and promoting social change. Keller’s contributions to literature, disability rights, and humanitarian efforts remain influential, inspiring generations to strive for equality and inclusion.

For those seeking more detailed information, the biography of Helen Keller in Marathi can offer additional insights into her life and legacy. Helen Keller’s story remains a symbol of courage and determination, inspiring countless individuals to overcome their challenges and strive for greatness.

FAQs on Helen Keller Biography

Who was helen keller why is she famous.

Helen Keller was an American author, disability rights advocate, and lecturer who became the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. She is famous for overcoming her disabilities with the help of her teacher Anne Sullivan and for her contributions to literature and advocacy for people with disabilities.

Did Helen Keller have a baby?

No, Helen Keller never married and did not have any children.

Why is Helen Keller a hero?

Helen Keller is considered a hero for her extraordinary achievements despite being deaf and blind, her advocacy for people with disabilities, and her efforts to promote social justice and equality.

What was Helen Keller's first word?

Helen Keller's first word after her breakthrough with Anne Sullivan was water, learned through Sullivan's method of spelling words into Keller's hand while running water over her other hand.

Did Helen Keller go to a deaf school?

Yes, Helen Keller attended the Perkins Institute for the Blind, which also served students who were deaf, and the Wright-Humason School for the Deaf.

Does Helen Keller have a PhD?

Helen Keller did not earn a PhD, but she received numerous honorary degrees from prestigious universities worldwide in recognition of her contributions and achievements.

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What We Can Learn from a Biography of Hellen Keller's Teacher

Few of us, however, get to successfully dictate how we will be remembered---and historians, of course, rightly and stubbornly resist letting their subjects define themselves. As I have reconsidered Macy in my new biography, Beyond the Miracle Worker: The Remarkable Life of Anne Sullivan Macy and Her Extraordinary Friendship with Helen Keller , I became convinced that I, and nearly everyone else, had shortchanged the woman known only as the teacher of Helen Keller. Even immediately after her 1936 death, newspaper headline writers developed limited characterizations. The labels she posthumously earned ranged from “Lifelong Friend and Teacher” to “Mentor,” “Companion,” and “Instructor,” all the way down to “Aide”—varying, but all labels that defined her only in relationship to the famous deaf-blind activist Helen Keller.

Telling the life story of Anne Sullivan Macy with her as the central figure is a markedly new strategy, and creates a new story. Macy’s life was personally dramatic and intersects with major themes and questions of U.S. history in revealing and important ways. Following the life of Macy leads one through the starkness of nineteenth-century immigrant life, the horrors of a mid-nineteenth-century asylum and the development of U.S. social welfare systems, turn-of-the-century medical care for conditions as disparate as trachoma and rabies, regional differences in the post-Civil War decades, and the tumultuous marriage of a smart and ambitious woman trying to make a professional life in a patriarchal society. Furthermore, she was a chronically ill, disabled woman whose public identity excluded nearly all acknowledgment of her disability—and through her I have learned more about the complexities and variations of the U.S. disability experience than I did studying Helen Keller.

Turning to examine Macy’s life raises questions about the opportunities available to women to reinvent themselves in turn-of-the-century America. She is contemporary with the first generation of female college students who embraced pivotal and important roles in U.S. social reform, education, and civic life. She is a contemporary of those who—like Jane Addams, Julia Lathrop, and Florence Kelley—developed and energized the settlement house movement. She is, however, dramatically different. Though an extremely brilliant woman, she lacked any educational training or advanced degree, came from a family with no connections to wealth or prestige, was deeply ashamed of her past, and had little involvement in broad social reform. Other than her relationship to Keller, she had few opportunities to build on for personal advancement. Those she had came from flirtatious relationships with older men. From the time of Keller’s Radcliffe graduation in 1904 until the early 1920s the two constantly sought new economic opportunities and stability as various money-making attempts failed. While she and Keller clearly valued one another, Macy clung to the relationship with such tenacity partially because of the narrow options available for a woman of her class and background, let alone one with a disability.

The relationship between Keller and Macy is both more and less significant to Macy’s life than historians have recognized. It’s more significant because it’s a vastly more complex and profound relationship than the common teacher–student story of the miraculous water pump at which Macy taught Keller. It’s less significant, because as one recasts the story with Macy herself as the focal point, the biography becomes a much broader and wide-ranging story than that of just one relationship. Macy leaned on Keller, juggling her uneasy combination of emotional vulnerability and a fierce desire for independence. Keller provided love, acceptance, daily assistance, an income, and a home. Their deep friendship, and Macy’s willingness to allow herself to be dependent on Keller, gave meaning to Macy’s life. And by the mid-1920s Helen Keller, the world’s most famous disabled person, had become her former teacher’s personal assistant.

Macy’s relationship to her disability is difficult to entangle. I’m convinced that she often experienced her partial blindness, and the physical pain that accompanied it, as more debilitating than Keller experienced her deaf-blindness. Near constant pain combined with the waves of melancholy that confronted her throughout her life. And because of Keller’s star status, Keller got to be the disabled one, indeed a disabled superstar. Accompanying such a person left Macy little social space in which to claim her own disability and the accommodations it required. Finally, her status as Teacher made claiming disability difficult. The powerful social definition of disability, one that classified disabled people as markedly different from others, precluded the status of Teacher. Such sentiments assumed that one could not be disabled and be a prominent teacher. Just as the public defined Keller by her disability, so was Macy defined in opposition to disability. The necessary accompaniment to Keller, as the public understood her, was the able-bodied savior who had freed her from the chains of her disability. The general public always assumed Macy to be sighted—even when told the opposite. The overwhelming cultural belief that disability debilitated, that only an able-bodied person could teach and assist someone with a disability, trumped the reality of Macy’s limited vision and chronic illnesses.

In another subtle directive to a future biographer, Anne Sullivan Macy reflected near the end of her life that “Any book about me must be full of contradictions.” Beyond the Miracle Worker reflects these contradictions—the contradictions of a delightful, gloomy, charismatically fascinating, and annoying woman who was neither blind nor sighted. Though she was born in 1866, her life is a surprisingly contemporary tale. It is the story of a caring, fiercely proud, and intelligent woman trying to forge meaningful human relationships despite her own ingrained flaws and wounds. It is the story of a woman deeply frightened of depending upon anyone else for emotional, economic, or social sustenance. And yet—in one of those contradictions that Macy warned us about—she made one notable exception: she did not hesitate to lean on her famous student, and later friend, Helen Keller.