Helen Keller was born deaf and blind in 1880 in Alabama. She became ill at age 19 months which left her unable to see or hear. Her family contacted Alexander Graham Bell who recommended Anne Sullivan to teach Helen. Anne spelled words into Helen's hands and taught her to communicate. Helen went on to graduate from college and became an author and activist for disability rights. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and died in 1968 at age 87.

1. The Life Of Helen KellerThe Life Of Helen Keller
 By: Katie Bridges
 ETE 100-Online
Section
 September 29,
2005

2. About HelenAbout Helen
 Named Helen Adams Keller
 Born June 27, 1880 in Tuscumbia,
Alabama
 Daughter of Captain Arthur Henley
Keller and Kate Adams Keller
 Was born with full sight and hearing

3. A Change For The WorseA Change For The Worse
 February 1882, when Helen was 19 months
old, she fell ill
 Doctors called it “brain fever” otherwise
known today as scarlet fever or meningitis
 For many days, she was expected to die
 When the fever went away, her family thought
she was in the clear

4. A Change For The WorseA Change For The Worse
(Cont)(Cont)
 Her mother noticed that Helen was
not responding to the dinner bell
when rung
 Also, she was responding to her
mother’s hand passing in front of
her eyes
 Helen’s illness left her blind and
deaf

5. Help For HelenHelp For Helen
 Helen’s mother took her to a specialist doctor
in Baltimore who suggested that they meet
with Alexander Graham Bell
 Alexander Graham Bell was the local expert
on the problems of children who are deaf
 Bell told the Keller family to write Michael
Anagnos-director of the Perkins Institution
and Massachusetts Asylum for the Blind

6. Helen & Alexander GrahamHelen & Alexander Graham
BellBell

7. Help For Helen (Cont)Help For Helen (Cont)
 The Keller’s asked Anagnos to help
find a teacher for Helen
 He immediately recommended
Anne Sullivan who was a former
student of the institution

8. Helen Meets AnneHelen Meets Anne
 Met for the first time on March 3, 1887
 Starting teaching Helen immediately
 She spelled out the word “doll” on
Helen’s hand to help her recognize
what Anne had brought for Helen
 Helen could repeat the movements on
her hand, but didn’t know what they
meant

9. A Picture of Anne SullivanA Picture of Anne Sullivan

10. Starting To Make SenseStarting To Make Sense
 Anne took Helen down a path to a well-
house
 Someone was pumping water and Anne
put Helen’s hand under the water
 Anne immediately spelled out “water”
over and over on Helen’s hand
 Helen make the connection between
the word “water” and the flowing liquid

11. The Learning Never StopsThe Learning Never Stops
 Helen learned the spelling of 30 words
within the next few hours after the water
 Learned to understand what others
were saying by touching their lips and
throat
 Helen could not speak due to her vocal
chords not being trained prior to being
taught how to speak

12. Helen Reading LipsHelen Reading Lips
Helen
reading Mrs.
Calvin
Coolidge’s
lips with her
hand

13. Helen Goes To CollegeHelen Goes To College
 Helen was the first person who was blind and
deaf to ever enter an institution of higher
learning
 She enrolled in the fall of 1900
 She was the first person was was blind and
deaf to earn a bachelor of Arts degree
 Helen graduated cum laude from Radcliffe
College on June 28, 1904

14. Helen’s Graduation PictureHelen’s Graduation Picture

15. Helen’s PublicationsHelen’s Publications
 1903-Helen’s first book The Story
of My Life
 1913-Out of the Dark-series of
essays on socialism
 1955-Teacher-book about Anne
Sullivan

16. Helen’s Contribution toHelen’s Contribution to
SocietySociety
 Had fundraising tours for the American
Foundation for the Blind
 After World War II, Helen traveled the
world fundraising for the American
Foundation for the Overseas Blind
 Campaigned to help with the living and
working conditions for people who were
blind

17. Awards For HelenAwards For Helen
Was awarded the Presidential
Medal of Freedom in 1964 by
President Lyndon Johnson
1965-At the New York World’s
Fair, she was elected to
Women’s Hall of Fame

18. The End of Helen’s LifeThe End of Helen’s Life
 Helen died on June 1, 1968 in Arcan
Ridge at the age of 87
 She died peacefully in her sleep
 Her lifelong dream was to be able to
talk, something she never got to master
in life

19. Helen’s Obituary PictureHelen’s Obituary Picture

20. BibliographyBibliography
 http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3c100
00/3c11000/3c11700/3c11738v.jpg
 http://www.afb.org/braillebug/helen_keller_bio
.asp
 http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cocoon/legacies/AL/200
002670.html
 http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisd
 http://www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/d
oucuments/publicwebsite/public_keller.hcsp