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Balancing with the world
Braille, Fingerspelling, and Sign Language Translated into Activism
Anne Sullivan was hired to teach Helen Keller how to communicate and understand others. Anne would teach Helen by spelling words out into her hand. At first, Helen only memorized the words she was being taught without understanding the meaning. This wasn’t until one day, Anne took her to an old pump and started pumping water onto Helen’s hands in order for her to understand the meaning of the word “water”. After this moment, Helen realized the necessity for comprehension when it comes to communication. She eventually learned how to walk dogs, ride a horse and even swim.
Helen Keller Paves Her Way to Advocacy
As an Activist and Public Speaker Keller gave multiple speeches throughout the United States in the 1910’s, promoting equality, suffrage, and disability rights such as her Strike Against War Speech and her many speeches at the Lions Club International Convention. She later co-founded the American Civil Liberties Union in efforts to fight for labor rights. Keller started to become engaged in socialist politics. She attended an appointment to a public welfare board in Schenectady, New York. Keller educated nationally on the topics of the day with the help of her former teacher Anne Sullivan. Along with many other radical causes, she advocated against war and for the votes of women and the working class, as well as denouncing those who pointed out her disability because they disagreed with her views. As these things came openly to Helen, the hardships of communication started to arise from here on - dispute.
Helen Keller Paves Her Way to Advocacy
As an Activist and Public Speaker Keller gave multiple speeches throughout the United States in the 1910’s, promoting equality, suffrage, and disability rights such as her Strike Against War Speech and her many speeches at the Lions Club International Convention. She later co-founded the American Civil Liberties Union in efforts to fight for labor rights. Keller started to become engaged in socialist politics. She attended an appointment to a public welfare board in Schenectady, New York. Keller educated nationally on the topics of the day with the help of her former teacher Anne Sullivan. Along with many other radical causes, she advocated against war and for the votes of women and the working class, as well as denouncing those who pointed out her disability because they disagreed with her views. As these things came openly to Helen, the hardships of communication started to arise from here on - dispute.
Helen Keller with Alexander Graham Bell -
The man that led the Kellers to Boston's Perkins School for the Blind, where Helen was introduced to Anne Sullivan.
"A letter always seems more truly my own when I can run my fingers over it, and quickly enter into the thoughts and feelings of my friends without an interpreter, even though the interpreter be the dearest and sweetest in the world."
~Helen Keller to Alexander Graham Bell, March 9, 1900