Helen Keller

1880 – 1968

Helen Adams Keller was an American author, disability rights advocate, and political activist who became deaf and blind in infancy and went on to become the first deaf-blind person in the United States to earn a bachelor's degree. With her teacher Anne Sullivan she developed the literacy and communication skills that allowed her to publish a dozen books and lecture across more than 25 countries. She was a founding member of the American Civil Liberties Union and a lifelong advocate for socialism, women's suffrage, and disability rights, though her radical politics drew sustained FBI surveillance.

Last checked: May 10, 2026, 1:06 PM