Helen Keller: podcast appearances and interviews

Helen Adams Keller was an American author, disability rights advocate, political activist, and lecturer. Born in West Tuscumbia, Alabama, she lost her sight and hearing after an illness when she was 19 months old. Initially communicating using home signs, she began learning language at age seven with the help of her teacher and lifelong companion, Anne Sullivan. Sullivan's instruction enabled Keller to read and write, facilitating her education at both specialist and mainstream schools. She attended Radcliffe College of Harvard University, becoming the first deafblind person in the United States to earn a college diploma. Keller was a prolific writer, authoring 14 books and numerous speeches and essays on diverse topics including animals, Mahatma Gandhi, and social issues. She was active in campaigning for the rights of people with disabilities, women’s suffrage, labor rights, and world peace. In 1909, she joined the Socialist Party of America and was a founding member of the American Civil Liberties Union. Keller’s autobiography, The Story of My Life, published in 1903, detailed her education and experiences with Sullivan. Her life and work have been depicted in adaptations such as William Gibson’s play The Miracle Worker. Her birthplace has been preserved as a National Historic Landmark and operates as a house museum hosting an annual Helen Keller Day.