Did You Know? Helen Keller

Helen Keller, born in 1880, became blind and deaf due to an illness in childhood. Despite doubts about her educational potential, she learned to communicate with the help of Anne Sullivan. Keller mastered Braille, lip-reading, and even speech, becoming well-known by age 16. She was the first deaf-blind person to graduate college, gaining international fame. Despite public skepticism and criticism of her socialist views, Keller published books, lectured globally, and advocated for disability rights, helping to reduce stigma and ignorance about the deaf-blind community.

What illness did Helen Keller contract as a child that affected her senses?

• A condition that impaired her speech

• A fever that caused cognitive impairments

• An illness that left her blind and deaf

• A disease that affected her mobility

Who was the teacher that helped Helen Keller learn to communicate effectively?

• Marie Curie

• Anne Sullivan

• Florence Nightingale

• Clara Barton

By what age was Helen Keller well-known in the United States?

• 18

• 16

• 12

• 10

What was one of the reasons some people doubted Helen Keller's accomplishments?

• Her inability to speak verbally

• Her socialist political views

• Her lack of formal education

• Her refusal to write books

What significant action did Helen Keller take to reduce the stigma around disabilities?

• She piloted an airplane

• She opened a school for the blind

• She became a politician

• She published books and lectured globally