Helen Keller

Biography

Helen Keller (1880–1968) was an American author, lecturer, and activist who became one of the most famous figures in modern history after overcoming deafblindness to achieve extraordinary intellectual and public accomplishments. Born in Tuscumbia, Alabama, Keller lost her sight and hearing at nineteen months due to illness. Her breakthrough came at age six when teacher Anne Sullivan taught her to communicate through finger spelling, opening the world of language and thought. Keller graduated cum laude from Radcliffe College in 1904, becoming the first deafblind person to earn a bachelor’s degree. Her autobiography, The Story of My Life (1903), became an international bestseller and remains one of the most widely read autobiographies in history. Beyond her personal achievements, Keller was a passionate advocate for disability rights, women’s suffrage, labor rights, and socialism. She cofounded the American Civil Liberties Union and worked for decades with the American Foundation for the Blind. Keller published twelve books and hundreds of speeches and essays, demonstrating that disability need not limit intellectual or activist life.