Why Is Helen Keller Blind

The life of Helen Keller began on June 27, 1880, in Tuscumbia, Alabama. However, nineteen month later Keller's life was changed forever. Her mother noticed that she had not been reacting when the dinner bell had rung or even flinched when a hand was waved in front of her face. After consoling the family doctor, the diagnosis was made that Keller was now deaf and blind. The doctor did not know exactly what had caused such a horrific even to occur, but today doctors believe that it could have been a result of scarlet fever or meningitis (biography.com). As a young girl, Keller would play with her friend Martha Washington. In order to communicate, they came up with their own form of sign language, containing over 60 different signs. Over the course of time however, Keller began to lose control of her emotions and often threw tantrums. As a result, many believed Keller needed to be sent to an
In a speech to the House Committee on Labor, Keller explained how everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, to be treated like any other person. The colored blind faced both discrimination because of their color and disability. They were forced to learn in run down school buildings, with little to none formal education. In addition, they lacked the proper medical attention and adequate handicap allowance to just enjoy the simplest things in life. The deaf-blind faced similar circumstances. There were no agencies fully equipped to properly educate and provide for all of these people. Both groups felt isolated because they did not have the ability to make a living for themselves. Keller wanted to change that. She was able to make the Committee revise the Social Security Act, allowing both the colored blind and deaf-blind an adequate allowance to live a basic life (comments on the house committee on