Helen Keller was born in 1880 in Alabama with full sight and hearing. She became ill at age 19 months which left her deaf and blind. Her mother worked to find help, connecting with Anne Sullivan. When Anne became her instructor at age 20, she taught Helen sign language and helped her breakthrough with communicating by spelling words into her hand. Helen learned braille and went on to graduate from college, becoming a famous author and advocate who worked to promote rights for disabled people until her death at age 87 in 1968.

1. The Life of Helen Keller
An interactive presentation by:
Autumn Oosterhouse

2. Helen Keller
• Helen Keller’s Childhood
• Helen Keller’s Illness
• Helen Keller with Annie Sullivan
• Helen Keller’s Death
• Resources
• Concept Map

3. Helen Keller’s Childhood
Helen Keller was born on June 27,
1880 in Tuscumbia, Alabama to Captain
Arthur H. Keller and Kate Keller with
full sight and hearing.
At the time of Helen’s birth the
family was far from being wealthy.
Captain Arthur H. Keller was earning a
living as both a cotton plantation
owner and as the editor of a weekly
local newspaper, the “North
Alabamian”. Helen’s mother Kate also
worked on the plantation, yet she
would also save money by making
butter, lard, bacon and ham.
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4. Helen Keller’s Illness
Helen was not born blind or deaf. It was not until
1882 when she was nineteen months old that she
became very ill. Her doctors referred to her illness
as, “an acute congestion of the stomach and the
brain,” which today doctors believe could have
possibly been scarlet fever or meningitis. Eventually
Helen’s illness subsided and her family rejoiced.
Helen’s mother soon noticed how Helen was not
responding to the dinner bell and when she waved
her hand in front of Helens eyes, there was no
response. Because of her illness she was left deaf
and blind for the rest of her life.
By the time Helen reached the age of seven, her and
her family had created over 60 different types of
sign language in order for her to communicate with
her family.
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5. Helen Keller’s Illness Cont.
Helen was considered to be a difficult child, due to her tantrums and
vicious acting out. Many believed she should have been put into an
institution.
Helen’s mother never gave up hope though.
In 1886, Helen’s mother was inspired by an account in Charles Dickens’
American Notes, of another successful deaf and blind child. Alexander
Graham Bell, who was working with deaf children at the time advised
Mrs. Keller to a former student, Anne Sullivan. On March 3, 1887, at
the age of 20, Anne Sullivan became Helen’s instructor and it stayed
that way for 49 years.
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6. Helen Keller with Anne Sullivan
In 1886, Helen’s mother was inspired by an
account in Charles Dickens’ American
Notes, of another successful deaf and
blind child. Alexander Graham Bell, who
was working with deaf children at the time
advised Mrs. Keller to a former student,
Anne Sullivan. At the age of 20, Anne
Sullivan became Helen’s instructor and it
stayed that way for 49 years.
Anne Sullivan’s first task was to instill
discipline in the spoiled girl. Helen's big
breakthrough in communication came one
day when she realized that the motions
Anne Sullivan was making on her palm,
while running cool water over her hand,
symbolized "water"; Helen then nearly
exhausted Sullivan demanding the names
of all the other familiar objects in her
world.
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7. Helen Keller with Anne Sullivan Cont.
After Helen’s magnificent defeat,
she was known as a phenomenon.
She became famous, which then
allowed her to meet Alexander
Graham Bell, President Cleveland at
the White House and attended
Radcliff College as the first
deaf/blind student at a higher
educational institution.
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Anna Sullivan taught Helen to
speak using the Tadoma method
of touching the lips and throat
of others as they spoke,
combined with finger spelling
letters on the palm of Helen’s
hand. Later, Helen learned
Braille and used it to read. Not
only English but also French,
German, Greek and Latin.

8. Helen Keller with Anne Sullivan Cont.
After Helen
graduated from
Radcliff in June
1904, Anne Sullivan
married her dear
friend John Macy
and the three of
them moved and
lived in
Massachusetts.
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9. Helen Keller’s Death
Helen Keller died
peacefully in her sleep
on June 1, 1968, at the
age of 87 by natural
causes at Arcan Ridge,
Connecticut, more than
30 years after the
death of Anne Sullivan.
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10. Braille
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11. Sign Language
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12. Tadoma
Tadoma is a method of communication
used by deaf blind people, in which the
deaf blind person places his thumb on
the speaker's lips and his fingers ...
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13. Resources
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The Miracle Worker 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIQBpkaasrY
The Miracle Worker 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHwoRFe70jk

14. Concept Map
The Life of
Helen Keller
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Main Slide
Resources
Helen Keller’s
Childhood
Helen Keller’s
Illness
Helen Keller and
Anne Sullivan
Helen Keller’s
Death
Helen Keller’s
Illness Continued
Helen Keller and Anne
Sullivan Continued
Audio of The
Miracle Worker
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