Helen Keller is an American writer, activist, and lecturer. Festivals of her memory are held annually, she is included in the National Women's Hall of Fame of the country. Keller's profile has been immortalized since 2003 on the 25 cent coin.
Helen Adams Keller was born in Easton in 1968, June 1. When the girl was one and a half years old, she lost her hearing and eyesight due to illness. They did not work with such children. The parents decided to find the teacher's daughter themselves. Anne Sullivan managed to pick up the approach to the pupil. This work became a real breakthrough in special pedagogy.
Time to fight the disease
The first time after her recovery, the girl could not even communicate with her family. She showed desires with gestures. The misfortune did not affect the character of the baby. The child grew up cheerful and cheerful.
Parents increasingly thought about sending the girl to an orphanage. They didn't know if their daughter could live on her own.
Alexander Bell recommended the Perkins School for the Blind. The teacher who arrived did not make any allowances for the student's condition. She started her studies almost instantly. Ann wrote the words with her fingers on Helen's palm. The girl learned to reproduce all the signals on the very first day.
However, it took a while before Keller could figure out the nuances of the language. She often used imitative movements.
Training
The first understanding greatly accelerated learning. The girl began to write in Braille on her own after three months. She read stories and even learned to communicate with people unfamiliar with special symbols.
The success of the student amazed the professionals. Then printed publications began to write about Kohler. The collaboration with Sullivan took almost fifty years. Helen in May 1888 arrived at the school for the blind. She enjoyed communicating with people like her. After the first visit, the pupil Sullivan attended classes for several years. At ten, the girl found out about Ragnhilda Kaate, who had learned to speak. Helen fired up to do the same.
The whole family dissuaded her, fearing despair over failure. But the future writer insisted on her own. Classes began with Sarah Fuller. The student learned to pronounce sounds, but her voice remained difficult to understand for strangers. In 1894, Keller was admitted to the Wright-Humason School.
Her studies lasted until 1896. Helen received further education at a girls' school at Harvard University. Sullivan accompanied her, wrote regular books in Braille and recorded lectures. In 1899, the girl received the right to enter the university. In 1900, Keller became a student at Radcliffe College. Very crowded classrooms, the lack of printed publications with a special font and the lack of attention from teachers became a challenge.
During his studies, the first autobiography, The Story of My Life, was created. It was published as a separate book in 1903. Achievements in socialization In 1904 he graduated from college with honors. Helen became the first deaf-blind student to receive a college degree and a bachelor's degree.
Keller moved to the village with Sullivan and her husband. There were created new samples of her work: "The World I Live In", "Song of the Stone Wall" and "Out of Darkness." In the twenties, the activist began to travel with lectures. In 1937, Helen visited Japan, where she was told about the dog Hachiko, who had been waiting for its owner for nine years at the station.
Keller wanted a dog of the same breed. She was presented with the first Akita Inu in the United States. In 1946, Keller was appointed International Relations Officer at the Foundation for the Blind of America. In 1952, a visit to France took place, where the social activist was awarded the title of Chevalier of the Order of the Legion of Honor.
The shooting of the documentary film "Invincible" took place. Catherine Cornell became the narrator. The tape was awarded the Oscar for the best full-length documentary project. After 1960, the writer stopped appearing in public. She last attended the Lions Humanitarian Award. Helen Keller died in 1968, June 1.
Merit and memory
Her training was a breakthrough in special education. Many well-known techniques were based on this achievement in the future. The woman has become a real symbol of the struggle of many disabled people. Keller was educated and attended Radcliffe College. The talented student was awarded a bachelor's degree. Keller talked about her experience in the works she created. She has become a prominent philanthropist and activist. The activist supported funds for the socialization of disabled people, spoke out against female discrimination.
She took an active part in the work of the American Civil Liberties Union. In 1964, Johnson awarded the activist the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Since 1980, the writer's birthday has been celebrated as Helen Keller Day. In literature, she became the heroine of Gibson's play The Miracle Worker.
The Story of My Life is included in the compulsory literature curriculum of many schools in America. The work has been translated into fifty languages. An active and purposeful person, she managed to realize her dream and become a writer. In addition to books, nearly five hundred articles and essays have been published.
Streets in different countries of the world are named in her honor. Keller's childhood home is listed on the country's National Register of Historic Places. It annually hosts a festival of her memory with the production of the play "Made a Miracle".
The play, first shown in 1959, was awarded the Tony Award for Best Drama. In 1962 it was screened. The performers of the roles of the main characters Patti Duke and Anne Bancroft received Oscars.
The play was also inspired by Indian filmmakers. In 2005 they filmed The Last Hope. Mark Twain, who became one of Keller's friends, called her one of the greatest people of the time, putting her on a par with Napoleon.
