6 Important Facts About Helen Keller

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19907
6 Important Facts About Helen Keller

The accomplishments of Helen Keller are quite profound and serve still today as an inspiration for many people. Born deaf and blind, many would simply dismiss this quiet world as one of lonely solitude and crave an ending to it. Keller, however, graduated with honors and was a very prolific author. She wrote many articles and a dozen books. Her first was actually her own life story, which was first published in 1903. Here are some other important facts about this amazing woman.

1. She Learned To Speak

Keller was a gifted communicator. She learned many different methods of communication with a world that she couldn’t hear, including lip reading and finger spelling. Raised type and Braille were also in her skill set and she could use a typewriter. Her most notable accomplishment, however, was that she learned how to speak.

2. Music Was a Passion

Although she couldn’t see or hear music being played, she could feel the vibrations of the music in her fingertips. She would often hold an instrument as a musician played so that she could pick up the sounds through feeling them. The same could be done through feeling the vibrations of human voices so she could enjoy singing.

3. She Loved Dogs Very Much

Keller traveled to Japan and fell in love with the Akita. She is responsible for introducing the breed to the Americas, but it wasn’t just one breed of dog that she loved. Keller loved them all and had dogs with her throughout her entire life. Her first dog that was an Akita, a gift from a police officer in Japan, stole her heart.

4. An 8th Wonder of the World

By 1919, almost everyone knew about Helen Keller. People wanted to know more about her, so filmmakers at the time came up with the idea of a projected named “Deliverance.” Keller starred in the film about herself and the production was successful enough that it led to a series of vaudeville appearances as well. In 1956, a new documentary about Keller’s life was created and it won an Academy Award. She went up on stage and accepted it.

5. She Worked Hard For Good

By the end of her life, Keller had visited 39 countries and met with a number of world leaders. It wasn’t just rulers that she met with, however, and that’s what made her such an inspirational figure. She would visit disabled veterans in the hospital so that everyone could get the inspiration, encouragement, and support they needed in some of their most difficult times.

6. She Was a Socialist

Socialism in Keller’s time was a little different. She helped to found the American Civil Liberties Union and supported the rights of women and workers so that everyone could be treated equally. Many of us may never know of the challenges she faced, but we do know one thing for certain: she conquered every challenge that was put in front of her.