Next week (June 26-July 2) is Deafblind Awareness Week, because Hellen Keller’s birthday was June 27, 1880. She grew up in Alabama, and when she was only one year old, she contracted an illness, most likely scarlet fever or rubella. Hellen Keller then became deaf and blind and very wild. Her teacher, Anne Sullivan, helped calm Hellen and taught her words by signing in her hand. Anne taught Hellen the ASL and Braille alphabets. In 1890, Keller began her lessons for speaking. Hellen Keller was mainly a writer of her own life and many significant and controversial topics. She also began a career as a social activist, being an advocate for those like her and traveling to many countries to meet political figures. Hellen Keller worked until close to the end of her life on June 1, 1968. Over the course of her life, she won many awards and still inspires many people. For more information, please visit https://www.afb.org/about-afb/history/helen-keller/biography-and-chronology/biography.
