Why did Helen lose her vision and hearing?

Why did Helen lose her vision and hearing?

Abstract. In 1882, at 19 months of age, Helen Keller developed a febrile illness that left her both deaf and blind. Historical biographies attribute the illness to rubella, scarlet fever, encephalitis, or meningitis.

Did Helen Keller regain her sight and hearing?

Fortunately, surgical procedures allowed her to regain her sight, but Helen’s blindness was permanent. She needed someone to help her through life, someone to teach her that blindness wasn’t the end of the road. Anne coached Helen with various techniques designed to teach her how to spell.

Was Helen Keller blind deaf and mute?

Blind and deaf from infancy, Keller became a world-renowned writer and lecturer. A normal infant, she was stricken with an illness at 19 months, probably scarlet fever, which left her blind and deaf. For the next four years, she lived at home, a mute and unruly child.

Was Helen Keller profoundly deaf and blind?

Helen Keller was a disability rights advocate who went deaf and blind at the age of nineteen months. Despite her disability, she proved to educators and people around the world given the right support, any student can learn. She’s known for her courage, intelligence, perseverance and deep compassion for others.

How did Helen Keller help the blind and deaf?

She went on to acquire an excellent education and to become an important influence on the treatment of the blind and deaf. Keller learned from Sullivan to read and write in Braille and to use the hand signals of the deaf-mute, which she could understand only by touch.

When did Helen Keller go fully blind?

Loss of Sight and Hearing Keller lost both her sight and hearing at just 19 months old. In 1882, she contracted an illness — called “brain fever” by the family doctor — that produced a high body temperature.

What was Helen Keller’s impact on the deaf community?

Helen Keller was the first deaf-blind individual to earn a college degree. She was an advocate for communities of people with disabilities in many ways, raising awareness through her lecture circuits and books and raising funds for the American Foundation for the Blind.