June 27, 2025

Never underestimate the strength that comes with blindness.

Helen Keller was born in Tuscumbia, Alabama on June 27, 1880.

She was an American author, educator, and disability rights advocate who became deaf and blind at 19 months old due to illness. With the help of her teacher Anne Sullivan, she learned to communicate and became the first deafblind person in the U.S. to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. Keller wrote 14 books, including her autobiography The Story of My Life, and was a prominent activist for people with disabilities, women’s suffrage, labor rights, and world peace. She co-founded Helen Keller International and helped found the ACLU. Her life and achievements changed public perceptions about individuals with disabilities

Helen Keller is widely known for “The Miracle Worker,” but her impact goes far beyond the movie. She was the first deafblind person to earn a college degree, authored over a dozen books, and wrote hundreds of essays. Keller was a tireless advocate for people with disabilities, helping to change public perceptions by showing that blindness and deafness were not barriers to achievement. She campaigned for disability rights, co-founded the ACLU, supported women’s suffrage, and traveled the world as a speaker and activist. Her life demonstrated that disability does not define a person’s potential or limit their contributions to society.

Here are some lesser-known facts about Helen Keller:

• Keller was once secretly engaged to her secretary, Peter Fagan, but family opposition ended the relationship.
• She was the first deafblind person to earn a college degree, graduating from Radcliffe College in 1904.
• Keller was great friends with Mark Twain.
• She worked on the vaudeville circuit to earn a living.

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