Anne Sullivan and Helen Keller Memorials in Massachusetts

Anne Sullivan and Helen Keller Memorials in Massachusetts WWP

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On the grounds of Tewksbury Town Hall stands a memorial dedicated to Anne Sullivan and Helen Keller; it captures the moment when Sullivan taught Keller her first word, Water, spelling it on her palm.

Mico Kaufman created it in 1985 and titled it Water; a copy was dedicated on June 28th, 1992, and stands a short distance from the home Sullivan was born in Feeding Hills, Massachusetts.

Anne Sullivan (1866-1936) contracted trachoma, a bacterial eye disease that left her partially blind when she was five. Three years later, her mother passed away, her father abandoned them, and she and her younger brother were sent to an almshouse in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, today part of Tewksbury Hospital.

At 14, she started attending the Perkins School for the Blind in Boston. At 20, she graduated and became a teacher to the seven years old Helen Keller; it changed Keller’s life.

Until Sullivan arrived at her home in Tuscumbia, Alabama, Keller, who became deaf and blind at 19 months due to an unknown illness, could communicate only with a sign language she created. Sullivan developed a unique learning strategy in which she spelled a word into Keller’s palm while letting her fill the item. For example, she spelled the word Doll and gave her a doll to hold in her other hand. Her method enabled Keller to learn 575 words, the Braille system, and math within six months, improving her life significantly.

After a year, they went to the Perkins School for the Blind, where Keller began her formal education and Sullivan continued to instruct her; the two became companions and collaborators for the rest of their lives. Keller grew up to become the first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree, an author, and a lecturer. She devoted her life to advocating social causes, especially women’s rights, and improving the conditions of disabled people worldwide. Keller passed away in 1968. Her ashes were buried next to Anne Sullivan at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC.

HELEN KELLER & ANNE SULLIVAN - MEMORIES

A Tribute to Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan.

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HELEN KELLER & ANNE SULLIVAN - MEMORIES

A Tribute to Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan.
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