Yesterday, June 27th, was the 2nd annual International Day of Deafblindness, which was recognized by the United Nations last year, to coincide with Helen Keller’s birthday.
I have not always been fond of Helen Keller; however, she has paved the wave by graduating with a Bachelor’s of Arts degree at a prestigious university. Her impact on social welfare and civil rights opened doors for people with disabilities to thrive in the community; not shunned inside sitting at a rocking chair all day. Anne Sullivan was the key to bridge the gap in communication while attending school, participating in the community or speaking at rallies. Her quotes are widely shared around the world, such as: “The best and most beautiful things… must be felt with the heart.” and ““Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
One of the quibbles I have about Helen Keller, is how the public view her and compare her with other Deafblind individuals. The assumption is we are all the same–that is false. She lost both her vision and hearing as a very young child, in a time period where technology hadn’t advanced enough for hearing aids and computerized technology. She worked alongside her “Teacher” to work creatively and collaboratively to allow her to be educated like the rest of us. I have been approached when I mention I am Deafblind, “Oh, you mean like Helen Keller?”. It used to disturb me quite a lot that people compared me to her. Over time, I overcame the anger and changed it into a teaching moment describing how Deafblindness is a spectrum.
I can see Helen excelling in this day and age with the advancement of technology and broader choices of careers to choose from. She did what was available to her at that time. Her work with Anne inspired professionals to develop training programs and services to help individuals gain confidence, break down communication barriers and be contributing citizens to society. Terminology has evolved. In Canada, Intervenors, as described in previous posts, are universally used for children and adults. Other countries use Support Service Providers (SSPs), Communication Guides, Intervenors for children with Deafblindness (United States), and many more. They all have a common goal–ensuring human rights and communicationl needs of the Deafblind person are met.
Helen Keller left behind poignant stories and quotes for all of us to live by. One quote I’ll leave you with that defines my own life is: “Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”