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Helen Keller: Greatest of the greats

Published : Tuesday, 28 June, 2022 at 12:00 AM  Count : 1016

Helen Keller: Greatest of the greats

Helen Keller: Greatest of the greats

JUNE 27, 2022 was 142nd birth anniversary of world acclaimed greatest woman Helen Keller. She was born on June 27, 1880 at Ivy Green in Tuscumbia, Alabama USA.  At the age of one year and six months Helen Keller was attacked by scarlet fever and permanently lost her sight and hearing. But she said later, "Blind people are just like seeing people in the dark. The loss of sight does not impair the qualities of mind and heart."

After being visually and hearing impaired (blind and deaf), her struggle started. Her parents were so worried and ready to do anything for her. They met the great scientist, telephone inventor Dr. Alexander Graham Bell (interestingly he was a son of a deaf mother), to get suggestion for a suitable teacher for Helen. Dr. Alexander was so kind to them and managed a teacher for Helen, named Anne Sullivan. Ms. Anne was also visually impaired and after a series of operation her sight was regained. She completed her graduation from the Perkins School for the Blind in America. It was1887, Helen was seven years old at that time.

Anne Sullivan was really committed, dedicated and an ideal teacher. Helen would always refer to that day her teacher arrived to her, as "most important". Anne encouraged Helen to believe she could do anything she set out to do.

Anne taught Helen that learning is an adventure. The learning of Helen started and step by step she learned about a lot of subjects. Anne became very pleased and astonished realizing the excellent merit of her student Helen. As a part of Helen's academic education, Anne sat beside Helen in her classes at the school and college; spelled lecture after lecture of the lessons into Helen's hand by "finger spelling" (The system of teaching/ learning for the people with visual impairment). With the help of the great teacher Anne Sullivan, Helen Keller received her Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1904 from Radcliff College. From the student life, Helen Keller started writing articles and books on disabilities and various social issues. She used to write/ type the manuscript in "Braille" (The language for the visually impaired invented by Louis Braille of France, who was also visually impaired).

Helen Keller said, "Every child has a right to be well born, well nurtured and well taught and only the freedom of women can guarantee him /her that right. Never in the society of the world has women held a position of such dignity, honor and usefulness as now� I think the degree of a nation's civilization may be measured by the degree of enlightenment of its women."

Helen Keller: Greatest of the greats

Helen Keller: Greatest of the greats

So it is easy to understand her mission of life from her works. Though the fate sentenced her to lifetime darkness, she became tireless advocate for human rights, poverty alleviation, treatment and rehabilitation of the persons with disabilities.

Some of the Helen Keller's books are: The story of my life, optimism, An Essay, The world I live in, the song of the stone wall among others. A good number of her books have been translated into fifty different languages.

Helen Keller was able to overcome her physical disabilities by self-confidence, firmness of mind, regular and continuous study. She devoted her life for the visually impaired people of every race and country of the world. Helen Keller also placed her nobilities and generosity to the world by many of her great jobs including founding Helen Keller International.

Helen said, "I would like to live to see the day when every child has an opportunity of an education and every blind grown-up has the chance for training and job placement."

Jimmy Carter, the former president of America and Nobel Peace Prize Winner of 2002, wrote about Helen Keller in a book, "Helen Keller was a woman of modesty, because despite her remarkable accomplishment she did not view herself as remarkable. Without sight, she saw clearly into the souls of her fellow men.  And women and without hearing she heard plainly the cries of people who suffered from poverty, war, disabilities, and discrimination."

Winston Churchill called Helen Keller as "The greatest woman of twentieth century." Mark Twin was one step ahead. He commented, "Helen Keller is the most extraordinary product of all the ages." Helen met Rabindranath Tagore in India in 1933.
On June 01, 1968, only 26 days before her 88th birth anniversary, Helen Keller passed away living her legacy, motivating us to do a lot for the persons with disabilities living at home and abroad.

Writer is journalist, and author.











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