How did Helen Adams Keller inspire the world?

CAIRO – 27 June 2021: Today marks the birth anniversary of Helen Adams Keller, who is considered one of the most prominent figures of the modern era.

She was able to defy circumstances and realize herself. She is an American writer, lecturer, activist, and one of the greatest personalities of the 19th century. Keller inspired many with her persistence and determination as she became the first blind and deaf person to receive a BA.

Born in Alabama in 1880, Keller was the first deaf and blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in the United States of America. 

From a young age, Keller became famous for her intelligence and ambition, despite being deaf and blind after an illness - perhaps meningitis or rubella - that struck her at the age of just 19 months.

One of three siblings, Keller had two half-brothers from her father's first marriage. During her childhood, Keller was educated in many schools for the deaf. She learned to speak the sign language and was able to read people's lips.

Keller has become an accomplished public speaker, giving lectures on a range of topics, including women's rights for women with disabilities. She visited many countries and met world leaders, including several American presidents, as well as Churchill and Jawaharlal Nehru.

Although engaged to Peter Fagan, Keller never married, and was committed to the rights of the marginalized and vulnerable groups. She helped found the American Civil Liberties Union, and founded the Helen Keller International Organization in 1915.

Throughout her life, Keller fought for the rights of people with disabilities, women, and workers.

Keller began writing from an early age, and at just 22 she wrote her autobiography, “My Life Story”, which has been translated into 50 languages.

Her other works include “Out of the Dark”, a collection of essays, and “The World I live in”, where she describes her life and the way she learned to adapt to vision and hearing loss. She was known worldwide for her courage and compassion and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom - one of the highest civilian awards in the USA - by President Lyndon Johnson.

Keller passed away quietly at her home, a few weeks before her 88th birthday.