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Helen Keller

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Helen Keller was an author, lecturer, disability rights activist, and the first deafblind person to earn a bachelor's degree. At the age of nineteen months, a fever left Keller without her sight or hearing. Seeking help for Keller's education, her family was referred to Perkins School for the Blind graduate Anne Sullivan, who became Keller's teacher and mentor. Keller entered Radcliffe in 1900; with the aid of Sullivan and other tutors, she took a full program and graduated cum laude in 1904. After graduating, Keller used her international fame to advocate for people with disabilities, particularly regarding access to education and health care. She also supported women's suffrage and workers' rights, participated in socialist politics, and co-founded the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Keller was a prolific writer, and among her works were two autobiographies: The Story of My Life (1902) and Midstream--My Later Life (1929).

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