Helen Keller was an important and best-selling author, political activist, and professor of American history. Helen was born healthy, but at the age of two she contracted a disease called "brain fever" which left her deaf and blind. As a result, Helen became unruly, violent and constantly threw tantrums. It was believed that it was impossible to teach it. Refusing to have her institutionalized, her parents hired a specialized teacher with deaf and blind children. Helen's teacher, Anne Sullivan, not only taught her and gave her the ability to communicate, but transformed her life. Helen Keller was able to attend college and later became an advocate for the blind. He has never allowed his disabilities to hinder his success. His story to this day is so strong that his life was depicted in the Broadway play “The Miracle Worker.” Helen Keller is an important figure in history because of her impactful life story, her ability to overcome her disabilities, and her life's work. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Helen Keller's life story is extremely unique and impactful. She overcame her disabilities and never allowed the challenges those disabilities brought to stop her from achieving her goals and accomplishments. Helen Keller reached developmental milestones very early in her childhood. In 1882 Keller contracted an illness that caused him to have a very high fever. A few days later, the disease changed her life, leaving her deaf and blind. Helen's mother was the first to notice that something was wrong with her. Helen's personality had changed and she just seemed disconnected. “A few days after the fever broke, Keller's mother noticed that her daughter showed no reaction when…. when a hand was waved in front of her face.” Her mother's concerns were confirmed by the family doctor who diagnosed Helen as deaf and blind. Not only was Helen unable to recognize others, but her behavior had become wild and unruly. Her mother began to have difficulty controlling her and needed assistance. Doctors and family members suggested that Helen's parents place her in an institution. Helen began to have uncontrollable tantrums. Her parents did not agree and began looking for someone to educate their daughter. As Helen's tantrums seemed to get worse, she also began to develop the ability to communicate with the young daughter of the family cook. The two developed a type of sign language that allowed them to communicate with each other. Because of this, his behavior improved. She no longer had the frustration of not being able to communicate and express herself and her feelings. This also proved that Helen was capable of learning. His parents began actively looking for a teacher who could work with deaf and blind children. They were desperate for someone who could reach into their daughter's mind and help her communicate. After being examined by Alexander Graham Bell, Helen was referred to an extraordinary young teacher at the Perkins Institution for the Blind in Boston named Anne Sullivan. She specializes in the education of children with these disabilities. Within a few months, Sullivan helped Helen associate objects through touch with words spoken by finger signals on the palm of her hand. He also taught her to read sentences by feeling the words embossed on a pad of cardboard. With Sullivan's help, he was able to learn to read and write. This laid the foundation for Helen to go to college and become an authorand successful educator. Helen's education represents a remarkable achievement in the education of deaf and blind people. She attended several schools for people with these disabilities to learn to read Braille, speak, and read lips by placing her fingers on the lips and throat of the speaker while the words were spoken simultaneously.explained for her. Helen's determination to overcome her challenges has led to a successful educational career. By the age of 14, Helen had enrolled in the Wright-Humason School for the Deaf in New York City. She was admitted to the Cambridge School for Young Ladies in Massachusetts at the age of 16. Her excellent grades in high school earned her admission to Radcliffe College in 1900. Although her four years of college may have been very difficult, her determination and perseverance led her to graduate with honors in 1904. She began to write about her life and overcoming many obstacles during the college years. Helen and Sullivan became well known in university circles of the time. Together, they made several presentations on the protection of people with disabilities. “Keller and Anne Sullivan…wrestled together through four years of college like a pair of Siamese twins, joined by their flying fingers.” Sullivan never left Helen's side from the moment they met. She became Helen's voice throughout high school, college and career. Sullivan helped Helen reach her full potential and remained her faithful companion throughout her life. By sharing her story, she has inspired and become an example for those who have disabilities and feel they are limited in what they can do. In addition to having to overcome his disabilities, he also faced a lot of criticism during his college years. Helen and Sullivan were often accused of being cheaters. She never allowed the negativity surrounding her to get in the way of achieving her goals. Helen Keller's effort to learn to communicate and desire to overcome her disability meant that she had to work harder than the rest of her peers while in college. He relied on Sullivan as his personal companion during all lessons to complete his work. Unlike her peers, Helen used unconventional approaches to academics while at Radcliffe College. He communicated through lip reading, Braille, typing and spelling. Sullivan sat beside him in every class to interpret lessons and texts. Regardless of how difficult it became, she was determined to graduate from college. She was willing to do whatever it took to achieve her goals and get to where she wanted to be. Helen was the first deaf and blind person in American history to earn a college degree. While in college he published his most famous autobiography titled “The Story of My Life.” In addition to writing numerous articles, he also published 12 books that immediately became best sellers. Helen Keller's story began to become popular among the public. Many famous and influential people wanted to meet her. One of these was Henry H. Rogers, an executive at Standard Oil. Rogers was so impressed with Keller's talent, drive and determination that he agreed to pay for her to attend Radcliffe College. After graduating from Radcliffe, Helen dedicated her life to advocating for people with disabilities. She became a role model and idol for those struggling with disabilities and brought a lot of hope into their lives. She has become a highly recognized person and has received numerous awards. Helen was determined to work on behalf of others living with disabilities by sharing their experiences. She has become a famous celebrity, speaker and outspoken social activist. In the1924, Helen joined the American Foundation for the Blind. This was a non-profit organization for those who are blind. His membership in the foundation paved the way for the growth of his social activism. Helen rose to prominence throughout the twentieth century as she campaigned for issues such as women's suffrage, workers' rights, socialism, antimilitarism, and other similar causes. “Keller traveled across the United States for the AFB and helped establish rehabilitation centers and state commissions for the blind.” Helen did not believe that enough services were offered for the blind. Therefore, he testified before Congress, strongly advocating for the improvement of well-being of blind people. She became a co-founder of Helen Keller International to combat the causes and consequences of blindness and malnutrition. Today it is one of the main international non-profit organizations in the world, committed to preventing blindness and reducing malnutrition. Helen also helped found the American Civil Liberties Union. A foundation that bears his name provides treatment and all necessary medical care for any type of disease that can cause blindness. Helen's achievements and strong spirit have helped change the way people view people with disabilities. Helen Keller's courage and fortitude are one of the main factors that allowed her to achieve her goals despite her disabilities. She focused more on achieving her goals than worrying about what her disability would prevent her from doing. Helen refused to let being blind and deaf stop her from doing what she wanted and had a love for. Being an engaging author, Helen documented her life in memoir. She was also a well-known speaker who gave motivational speeches assisted by Sullivan at her side. His life's work has been recognized across the nation by leaders and celebrities. His achievements included numerous awards for his bravery. He also received honorary doctorates from Glasgow, Harvard and Temple Universities. “In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson awarded Mrs. Keller the Presidential Medal of Freedom.” Helen was bothered by the way others viewed disabled people and wanted to change that. This desire led her to influence people's perceptions of the deaf and blind, focusing on their determination to overcome obstacles rather than inviting others to pity them. There is no doubt that Helen Keller was one of the most extraordinary figures of the mid-20th century. Everyone he influenced began to focus their works on his life. They realized that it had a major impact on many and that the effect it had on people would be long term. Keller's life story was depicted in the 1919 film, "Deliverance" and in a 1959 Broadway production called "The Story of My Life." These productions became very popular and attracted the many people she influenced and those who looked up to her as a role model. His life story was later picked up by Hollywood. “The Miracle Worker,” a title often given to Anne Sullivan, became an Oscar-winning film in 1962. Keep in mind: This is just one example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Helen's impressive life story, determination to overcome her disabilities, and countless successes have led her to become a notable figure in American history. His life's work opened doors of opportunity for the deaf and blind. Helen Keller had 2016.