Helen+Keller+-+SP09



Helen Keller

Helen Keller overcame her disabilities and made the most out of her life. She spent several years of her life with lecture tours, speaking of her experiences and beliefs. All of her talks were translated and followed by question and answer sessions. She held extensive fund raising tours for the American Foundation for the Blind. She not only collected money, but also campaigned tirelessly to alleviate the living and working conditions of blind people, who at that time were usually badly educated and living in asylums. Her endeavors were a major factor in changing these conditions. After World War II, Helen spent years traveling the world fund raising for the American Foundation for the Overseas Blind. They visited Japan, Australia, South America, Europe and Africa. Helen Keller was as interested in the welfare of blind persons in other countries as she was for those in her own country; conditions in the underdeveloped and war-ravaged nations were of particular concern.supporting the rights of laborers as well as equal rights for women and blacks. She gave personal comfort and encouragement to blind and impoverished African Americans, was a founding member of the ACLU, and participated in rallies and marches. She was a vocal supporter of women's right to vote and their right to birth control. She even convinced Israelis to stop segregating the blind and disband a village set aside for their use. Her active participation in this area of work for the blind began as early as 1915 when the Permanent Blind War Relief Fund, later called the American Braille Press, was founded. She was a member of its first board of directors. She remapped the boundaries of sight and sense, altered out perception of the disabled.

altered our perception of the disabled -people with inconveniences remapped the boundaries of sight and sense -activist for racial and sexual equality -FBI had profile on her under j edgar hoover -polly thompson -happiness success and freedom -winnie corbally