Talk:Helen Keller/Archive 2

St. Sava Medal

I read somewhere that Helen Keller received the Serbian St. Sava medal.  Is this true?  If it is, it's notable in a strange way:  the St. Sava medal is the medal that John Wayne gives to the little girl Debbie in the movie "The Searchers".  66.122.183.244 (talk) 07:03, 4 March 2012 (UTC)

Helen Keller Institute for Deaf & Deafblind

Empowering the Deaf and Deaf Blind since 1977.

It all began in 1877 when three experienced teachers of the Deaf asked themselves a question: "Who is a deaf multiply handicapped / Deafblind child?" This child was already on our doorstep then. The Helen Keller Institute is a school managed by an Executive Committee which is an administrative body titled as, "The Helen Keller Institute for the Deaf and Deafblind." The Institute is registered with the Charity Commissioner under the Societies Registration Act 1860 and the Bombay Public Trust Act of 1950 and with the Commissioner of Income Tax under Section 80-G of the Income Tax Act 1961 under section 35 AC for 100 % exemption under Income Tax Act. Thus we established, "The Helen Keller Institute for Deaf and Deaf-blind" on July 11, 1977 with 2 Deafblind children, 1 deaf child, 3 teachers, a group of Committee Members and Rs.150/-, in the home of one of the teachers. It is now a pioneering institute in India , in fact in Asia , to start a programme for Deafblind children. Its commitment came from the belief that, "No one is incapable of being taught and no one can do without education. It is the fundamental birthright of every child to be loved and to be educated. It is also the first institute in India to follow the philosophy of "TOTAL COMMUNICATION" in teaching the Deaf, Deaf Multiply Handicapped and Deafblind. Its vision is to create, build and develop services for the Deaf / Deaf Multiply Handicapped / Deafblind children and young adults through Day-Care/Residential Facilities and other ancillary services. 

The Hellen Keller Institute is engaged in education of deaf and deafblind children. The Institute has helped educate and train 32 Deafblind children and 130 deaf children, since its inception in July 1977. At present, the Institute has 25 Deafblind and 64 deaf children on its roll. The institute is now recognized nationally and internationally and is aided by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, New Delhi and Women, Child and Handicappedas she began to speak her teacher taught he Development Office, Maharashtra.We provide free education and per-vocational training to deaf and deaf-blind children.Helen was also dumb as they say when we hear we learn to speak.as she was not able to hear she could not thus speak.Thus her teacher got her out of the darker side of life and taught her to speak.with her first voice being very coarse she was always frightened.her teacher got in her confidence.and she began speaking.then as she began to speak her teacher taught her to put the fingers in the mouth and understand.slowly and steadily she started understanding lip sings and she then was only blind. her deficiencies were partly over.she was confident and she became an authoress.  Please visit our page for more information on our projects.  http://www.facebook.com/HKIDB  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 120.62.10.200 (talk) 20:57, 28 March 2012 (UTC)

Political archive

Someone authorized to do so should consider adding this to the external links. It's the best source I know of online for Keller's socialist writings.  It's included in the footnote references. Helen Keller Reference Archive  http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/keller-helen/index.htm  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 108.72.244.157 (talk) 21:32, 28 June 2012 (UTC)

Edit request on 13 September 2012

In the following sentence: "She learned to "hear" people's speech by reading their lips with her hands—her sense of touch had become extremely supple", the word "supple" should be replaced with "subtle". 

Her hands may have been supple, but her sense of touch would have been subtle. Ingtam (talk) 00:35, 13 September 2012 (UTC)

Done RudolfRed (talk) 02:20, 13 September 2012 (UTC)

Name spelling correction

Please note that all references to Polly Thompson should be changed to Thomson (there is no "p" in her last name). Regards, Thomas Flynn — Preceding unsigned comment added by 108.46.27.168 (talk) 04:29, 21 March 2013 (UTC)

Radical left

As a qualified historian, I found sentence in question rather harsh to the modern day reader. While it is true that the author may have intended to position the political context in the view of Helen's time, it is confusing to the contemporary reader.  Therefore, I strongly suggest this modification "and other causes which, during that time, were considered radical leftwing."

That small modification makes it very clear that the "radical leftwing" is not to be confused with the reader's timeframe, but rather Helen's timeframe.  

While those of us, who are qualified historians, appreciate how to read biographical texts, Wikipedia is for everyone.  Even armchair historians might have to read that sentence twice.  Because it has raised questions from other readers, it should be address and the ego of the original author should take second seat at this point.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 188.238.51.0 (talk) 08:17, 19 June 2013 (UTC)

Is it correct to refer to  helen Keller's work for suffrage and organizing labor as belonging to the "radical left"?  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.83.216.141 (talk) 04:50, 5 August 2012 (UTC)

That's an excellent question-- I'd argue "yes, it should." Since political goal-posts are constantly being moved about, pegging a person's political positions in reference to contemporary standards results in a very confusing and constantly changing metric. It is really much more informative to frame said positions in their proper historical context.

This particular article illustrates the point very nicely-- woman's suffrage and organized labor are relatively mainstream, even "moderate" concepts today, but were absolutely radical-left positions to take back when Hellen Keller was writing. Even in her seemingly unassailable celebrity she still took quite a bit of flak for her politics! 68.190.126.114 (talk) 05:32, 5 September 2012 (UTC)

Encyclopedic nature of article?

Even the lede of this article sounds stupidly weaselly and nonencyclopedic... " broke through the isolation imposed by a near complete lack of language, allowing the girl to blossom as she learned to communicate," sounds like some attempt at journalistic/poetic attempt to write a bestseller book... or at least its dusstjacket....

207.216.83.226 (talk) 07:00, 10 July 2013 (UTC)

Okay, reading back through the archives of this article, there is SOOOO much clear bullshit... it is astounding.  Too bad she wasn't living, so that we could apply BLP rationales... and then at least have a somewhat more reasonable, less weaselly article.

207.216.83.226 (talk) 07:10, 10 July 2013 (UTC)

PLEASE READ: http://www.disabilitymuseum.org/dhm/lib/detail.html?id=2430&&page=all ... why is this not a main basis of the article!?

207.216.83.226 (talk) 07:19, 10 July 2013 (UTC)

Huffington Post link

The external link to the Huffington Post blog post, while interesting, does not appear to be of sufficient significance to include here. LaMona (talk) 16:01, 13 October 2013 (UTC)

ditto the poems linked in that section.LaMona (talk) 16:02, 13 October 2013 (UTC)

Oo

PizzaGuy900 (talk) 01:21, 11 November 2013 (UTC) I née to edit this

Not done: please be more specific about what needs to be changed. It's not clear what you're asking for. Rivertorch (talk) 05:27, 11 November 2013 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 15 March 2014

99.100.180.95 (talk) 01:43, 15 March 2014 (UTC)

Not done: it's not clear what changes you want made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format.  Kap 7 (talk) 03:42, 15 March 2014 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 30 June 2014

Powellisaac6 (talk) 01:15, 30 June 2014 (UTC)

Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format. Sam Sailor ^Sing 05:09, 30 June 2014 (UTC)

Edit suggestion

Hi, This is my first intervention on Wikipedia, so please bare with me. Since the page is semi-protected and I'm new, I can't edit. But I have a suggestion, maybe somebody who can edit will consider it: I think "labour rights" is a "left" concept and not a "radical left" concept, so I suggest in the second paragraph to delete the word "other" from : "and other radical left causes. " Thanks  — Preceding unsigned comment added by Freekiped (talk • contribs) 12:28, 23 June 2014 (UTC)

http://www.ncregister.com/blog/matthew-archbold/7-beloved-famous-people-who-were-wildly-pro-eugenics - " 7 Beloved Famous People Who Were Wildly Pro-Eugenics" Helen Keller was Pro-Eugenics: " I know what you're thinking. Come on Matt. Helen Keller was pro-eugenics? Are you crazy? Yes, but not about this.

Helen Keller was blind and deaf but clearly, made a distinction between Helen Keller and non-Helen Keller people. In defense of eugenics, Keller wrote “Our puny sentimentalism has caused us to forget that a human life is sacred only when it may be of some use to itself and to the world.”

She also called for “physicians’ juries for defective babies.” Seriously.

"It is the possibility of happiness, intelligence and power that give life its sanctity, and they are absent in the case of a poor, misshapen, paralyzed, unthinking creature,” Keller said, adding that allowing a "defective" child to die was simply a “weeding of the human garden that shows a sincere love of true life.” Yikes."

Not to defend eugenics or Keller's support of it, but: Helen Keller was blind and deaf but clearly, made a distinction between Helen Keller and non-Helen Keller people -- what horseshit. Eugenics is about genetic traits, not acquired traits such as those caused by infectious disease. Pretty much shows the entire source as unreliable.  --jpgordon^{::==( o )} 18:23, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 5 January 2015

Please Change the words "radical left causes" to "left-leaning causes" because using the word, "radical" is too subjective. "Left-leaning causes" would be more objective. Borneorib (talk) 00:21, 5 January 2015 (UTC)

 Fixed [1] by Arntzjj.  G S Palmer (talk • contribs) 01:14, 5 January 2015 (UTC)

Text box on mouseover

When you mouseover (hover over) the photo of Helen Keller at the top of the page, the text box that appears completely describes the photo, but without including Helen Keller's name.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.251.171.85 (talk) 01:04, 5 January 2015 (UTC)

@71.251.171.85: That isn't the purpose of alt text.  It's there to provide a description of the image for those who can't view images on their computers.  The caption is sufficient for identifying who is in the photo.  G S Palmer (talk • contribs) 01:16, 5 January 2015 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 20 February 2015

Would you add , Hellen was an insporation to evryone in the world , even now...?

Chelseaebeling11 (talk) 16:54, 20 February 2015 (UTC)

 Not done - unless you can find that quoted in a reliable, independent source it is just a PoV - albeit one I agree with. - Arjayay (talk) 17:13, 20 February 2015 (UTC)

Broken link

Broken hyperlink for the external links section "Helen Heller and Anne Sullivan Archive at Perkins School for the Blind" backslash at end causes page not to load.

For the archival material section: Most of Helen Keller's papers (adult) are at the American Foundation for the Blind. Perkins School for the Blind holds many of her papers in addition to early childhood and education materials. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Tippatappa (talk • contribs) 17:11, 13 April 2015‎ (UTC)

 Done The link has been corrected.  Please always add your comments at the bottom of any Talk page and sign your comments using four tildes (~~~~).  Dwpaul ^Talk   17:17, 13 April 2015 (UTC)

Archives

Where can the archived discussions from this talk page be found? Hepcat65 (talk) 10:23, 17 August 2015 (UTC)

@Hepcat65: Search for "Archives: 1, 2" in the boxes at the top of this page. That has links to two archives.

I moved your post to the bottom of the page which is where new sections are expected. Next time, please click "new section" (or is it just "+" in your skin?) to create a new discussion. Johnuniq (talk) 11:57, 17 August 2015 (UTC)

Thanks Johnuniq :) Hepcat65 (talk) 15:49, 17 August 2015 (UTC)

not sure where to incorporate this

On the page Nazi Art#Book burning there is the following quote from Hellen Keller:

“The blind writer Helen Keller published an Open Letter to German Students: 'You may burn my books and the books of the best minds in Europe, but the ideas those books contain have passed through millions of channels and will go on.'” ref Baez 2011, p. 211 /ref

I would like to include this in the article , but am unsure where to put it, can you do it for me? WillemienH (talk) 18:31, 11 September 2015 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 5 October 2015

Early childhood and illness

One day Helen Keller happened to spill water on her apron, and she spread it out to dry before the fire which was flickering on the sitting-room hearth. The apron did not dry quickly enough to suit her, so she drew nearer and threw it right over the hot ashes. The fire leaped into life; the flames encircled her so that in a moment her clothes were blazing. She made a terrified noise that brought Viny, her old nurse, to the rescue. Throwing a blanket over her, she almost suffocated her, but she put out the fire. Except for her hands and hair she was not badly burnt. Just about this time when Helen was around five years old, she found out the use of a key. One morning Helen locked her mother up in the pantry, where she was obliged to remain three hours, as the servants were in a detached part of the house. She kept pounding on the door, while Helen sat outside on the porch steps and laughed with glee. Meanwhile the desire to express herself grew. The few signs she used became less and less adequate, and her failures to make herself understood were invariably followed by outbursts of passion. Such episodes convinced her parents that she must be taught as soon as possible. Learning Once Helen was stringing beads of different sizes in symmetrical groups—two large beads, three small ones, and so on. She had made many mistakes, and Miss Sullivan had pointed them out again and again with gentle patience. Finally she noticed a very obvious error in the sequence and for an instant she concentrated her attention on the lesson and tried to think how she should have arranged the beads. Miss Sullivan touched her forehead and spelled with decided emphasis, "Think." In a flash she knew that the word was the name of the process that was going on in her head. This was her first conscious perception of an abstract idea. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Anaya711 (talk • contribs) 12:14, October 5, 2015 (UTC) (http://cbseacademic.in/web_material/doc/The%20Story%20of%20My%20Life,%20by%20Helen%20Keller.pdf)

Not done: as you have not requested a specific change in the form "Please replace XXX with YYY" or "Please add ZZZ between PPP and QQQ". That is a long passage from her book, which people can read if they want, but we are not just going to repeat it verbatim. - Arjayay (talk) 12:29, 5 October 2015 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 13 October 2015

Please make sure other sources have helen kellers death place in Easton Ct, Not westport 69.115.34.43 (talk) 22:40, 13 October 2015 (UTC)

Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format. The article currently makes no mention of Westport. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Cannolis (talk • contribs) 0:45, October 14, 2015 (UTC)

Alexander Graham Bell's influence

I'm new to this so I'm not sure how relevant this is but I think it would be good to mention that Alexander Graham Bell helped bring attention to Keller, as well as assisting with paying for her to attend Radcliffe. Source: <http://www.biography.com/news/alexander-graham-bell-and-helen-keller> Emmawreeds (talk) 01:20, 13 November 2015 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 27 December 2015

Hellen Keller was a girl that was deaf and blind. She wasn't dead. 166.173.57.136 (talk) 23:33, 27 December 2015 (UTC)

Not done: This article already covers these facts. Did you have a specific requested change? /wia🎄/tlk 23:50, 27 December 2015 (UTC)

'pacifist' should link directly to 'Pacifism'

Can't change link cos it's a semi-protected article — Preceding unsigned comment added by 130.88.123.167 (talk) 01:55, 24 January 2016 (UTC)

Please always add new comments to a Talk page at the bottom of the page, not at the top, and always sign your comments by typing four tildes (~~~~). The word pacifist in this article is linked to Pacifist, which is a redirect to Pacifism. There is no need to use a piped redirect to accomplish the exact same objective. General Ization ^Talk 02:48, 24 January 2016 (UTC)

Apparent conflicting information in article

Not sure if this is the correct place to mention this... however, in the article it says: "She learned to understand speech by reading lips" - this seems unlikely given that she was blind to the point of having her actual eyes removed for cosmetic purposes (also in the article.)  It would be interesting to know how she did actually understand speech - if at all.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.110.235.129 (talk) 03:51, 14 October 2011 (UTC)

Should read okay now...
⋙–Berean–Hunter—► 04:47, 14 October 2011 (UTC)

In The Miracle Worker, which is mainly from her autobiography, she "reads lips" by touching them.   7&6=thirteen (☎) 11:33, 15 October 2011 (UTC)

I wanted to address this very question by providing specificity.  The statement "her sense of touch had become extremely supple" includes both an inappropriate use of the word "supple" and may insinuate that her identity as a deafblind woman intrinsically allowed her to possess or independently develop a special tactile sensory modality that those with sight and hearing do not have. without providing the context that she was using a specific technique used by others in the deafblind community at the time: either the Tadoma method itself or a very close variant (http://www.aph.org/hall_fame/bios/keller.html).  I suggest the following change to the second sentence of paragraph 2 under the heading "Formal Education":  Original = "She learned to "hear" people's speech by reading their lips with her hands;—her sense of touch had become extremely supple" --> Replacement: "She also developed the capacity to discern spoken English through the use of a tactile lipreading system related to the Tadoma method. Hardwords (talk) 15:50, 1 March 2012 (UTC)

Not really a conflict, but additional information. There is a street named after Hellen Keller in Kolkata India. That can be added. Vitalstatics (talk) 04:07, 8 February 2016 (UTC)

Quotes?

Under the "Companions" heading there are a couple supposed quotes included at the end of the last paragraph: '"While in her thirties Helen had a love affair, became secretly engaged, and defied her teacher and family by attempting an elopement with the man she loved."[24] "Peter Fagan, a young Boston Herald reporter who was sent to Helen's home to act as her private secretary when lifelong companion, Anne, fell ill."[25]'

These are included under the section as though they are direct quotes from the book that is referred in the paragraph. However, the links included instead link to a webpage that discusses the book (secondary source, not primary source), and the quotes are not found on this webpage. Since the accuracy of the quotes is questionable (e.g., the last quote is not a complete sentence), it would be best if someone could verify whether the quotes actually came from the book mentioned, or perhaps from a previous version of the linked webpage, or in fact from the ACTUAL source of the supposed quotes. If these are indeed misquotes, they should either be corrected or removed. Thanks! Jdevola (talk) 12:14, 28 March 2016 (UTC)

Tone in subheading on Akita Dogs

The subheading on Keller's relationship to Akita dogs says that "She told a Japanese that she would like to have an Akita dog"; "Japanese" is an adjective, not a noun. Using nationalities, especially Asian ones, as stand-alone nouns is usually seen as dehumanizing (eg. comparing Japanese to People), and should be avoided in the English language. I would recommend a noun be added after "a Japanese" - eg. a Japanese local, a Japanese person, a Japanese breeder, a Japanese man/woman, etc. It should be noted that person-null language is not necessarily racist in intent. It may be an archaism, and in some languages, person-null language is seen as more grammatically correct. DLMacLeod (talk) 15:07, 28 July 2016 (UTC)

A correction to your statement. In fact, "Japanese", "Chinese", "Vietnamese", etc. are both adjectives and nouns according to the Oxford dictionary. Can you cite sources re your claims that:

1. "nationalities, especially Asian ones, as stand-alone nouns is usually seen as dehumanizing"
2. "adjectives which end in -an or -ian are often less derogatory than those with endings such as -ish, -ic, and -ese"

I'm sorry, but such a hyper-sensitive approach to language seems to produce the opposite of the intended effect. It reminds me of the Streisand effect, when an attempt to censor something instead produces the opposite. Titus III (talk) 16:46, 28 July 2016 (UTC)

I admit my claim that adjectives with certain endings are less rude as nouns was unverified beyond personal experience. I have removed it. However, I would point out that the link you provided only uses Japanese as a collective noun, referring to the Japanese nation. If you looked more close to home at the usage notes for "Japanese" in the English-language wiktionary, you would find that using "Japanese" as a countable singular noun is generally considered incorrect, and with all due respect, I've only ever heard the word used this way by my racist Grandma (though, it is common among ESL speakers). As well, someone here has pointed out that it sounds very close to "a Jap" which is a racial slur according to this very encyclopedia. Ultimately, there is no real reason to leave it this way, if the identity of the person in question is known. However, this is hard to determine as the section being discussed has absolutely no in-line citations. DLMacLeod (talk) 23:17, 28 July 2016 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 17 October 2016

Please add these points in the Portrayals section.

A 10*7 feet painting named "The Advocate - Tribute to Helen Keller" was created by three artists from Kerala as a tribute to Helen Keller. The Painting was created in association with a non-profit organization ArtD'Hope Foundation, artists groups Palette People and XakBoX Design & Art Studio. This painting was created for fundraising event to help blind students in India and was inaugurated by M G Rajamanikyam IAS (District Collector Ernakulam) on Helen Keller day (June 27 2016. The painting depicts the major events of Hellen Keller's life and is one of the biggest paintings done based on Hellen Keller life.

Chanhope (talk) 08:11, 17 October 2016 (UTC)

Done Topher385 (talk) 23:23, 17 October 2016 (UTC)

References

Small World

I guess it's a "Small World after all." ... Pirates of the Caribbean. What to do with children while you go to a Sade concert.— Preceding unsigned comment added by 2604:2000:E94B:5C00:FD04:93A2:68C0:13AD (talk) 05:40, 28 November 2016 (UTC)

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dumb but gave a talk with her own lips on ?

" The wonderful girl who has so brilliantly triumphed over the triple afflictions of blindness, dumbness and deafness, gave a talk with her own lips on "Happiness," and it will be remembered always as a piece of inspired teaching by those who heard it".

HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE ?.

"dumbness". — Preceding unsigned comment added by 200.50.71.238 (talk) 00:34, 20 May 2017 (UTC)

I'm not quite sure what you're asking. The passage you refer to is a historical quote, and I guess it is a little confusing. Long ago, the word "dumb" was used to denote a person's inability to speak. Keller overcame—quite literally "triumphed over"—that disability. She didn't literally triumph over her vision and hearing impairments, but she found ways to compensate and live a rich and meaningful life despite them. Rivertorch^FIRE_WATER 04:34, 20 May 2017 (UTC)

• In short, she learned how to talk. 71.91.45.233 (talk) 04:36, 20 May 2017 (UTC)

Yeah. It says "Keller learned to speak" in the Formal education section. Rivertorch^FIRE_WATER 04:54, 20 May 2017 (UTC)

Helen Keller jokes

I know that the jokes aren't respectful of Helen Keller, but it seems strange to me that zero mention is made of them at all in her Wikipedia article. Is there a specific policy that forbids acknowledging that they exist and are popular? If a 'reputable source' is required, I submit the introduction to her from Marxists.org (http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/keller-helen/intro.htm) which mentions it. They are also mentioned in published works (e.g. Lies My Teacher Told Me). 198.204.141.208 (talk) 23:09, 7 December 2011 (UTC)

Further: the jokes about her are mentioned in the Wikipedia page titled "Joke", which cites a scholarly article about them. 198.204.141.208 (talk) 23:21, 7 December 2011 (UTC)

The scholarly article referenced more or less says that the jokes are typical of a style of joking, and perhaps of scholarly interest in understanding how such jokes are created and disseminated; not that they explain anything that would be useful to a researcher wishing to learn more about Helen Keller. --Dystopos (talk) 21:58, 8 December 2011 (UTC)

I was hoping for something a little more direct: i.e. a Wikipedia policy. I tried looking at the biography and libel policies, but I couldn't find anything that seemed to argue for not including some acknowledgment of their existence. Are you saying that the specific policy against mentioning their existence would be WP:RS? Or is there a Wikipedia policy that says something about all content needing to be useful to a researcher? There are pages about particular people that include mention of jokes made at their expense, for example William Howard Taft (a throw away sentence, but mentioned) and Glenn Beck (a living person who would be subject to heightened scrutiny about neutrality and avoiding defamation/libel). 198.204.141.208 (talk) 22:05, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

WP:RS has to do with what is and isn't considered a reliable source. If the source isn't reliable, an encyclopedia has no use for it.

This issue is a content issue which doesn't fall under one single guideline or policy. CAT:CONTENT holds a list of guidelines and policies that govern content.

In my opinion WP:UNDUE would be the most applicable portion of a guideline. I haven't seen any reason to believe that the jokes hold a significant portion of the subject's history.

Lastly, I think you're confusing defamation and libel with jokes. They're not the same. Defamation which libel falls under, at least legally, refers to false and disparaging statements made about a person that are explicitly stated or implied to be facts. Jokes aren't inherently facts and quite often explicitly not facts so they don't fall under the definition of defamation.

All of that is unimportant for this case. Involved editors would need to see reliable sources that consider the jokes to be some portion 'x' of Keller's Legacy. At that point, the article can reflect that. Otherwise, considering the jokes to be important enough to include with no references would be original research and not suitable for the article. OlYeller21^Talktome 22:57, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

Thanks OlYeller21, that was exactly what I was looking for and has really helped me understand the applicable issues. I was including mention of defamation/libel because those were the only things I could think of that might be impediments even though they clearly weren't.

This link (http://www.thehistorychannelclub.com/articles/articletype/articleview/articleid/328/helen-keller-speaks) contains a snippet from the book Lies My Teacher Told Me, which considers the jokes to be a portion of Keller's legacy. The particular mention the author makes is, "Presenting a content-free Helen Keller doesn’t induce schoolchildren to venerate her. (Of the hundreds of students whose hero choices I’ve sought, only one ever picked Keller.) It only leads to Helen Keller jokes—you know: “If Helen Keller fell down in the middle of a forest, would she make a noise?” Seventh-graders amused by these jokes are not poking cruel fun at a disabled person; they are deflating a pretentious symbol too good to be authentic. But our loss of Keller as anything but a hollow hero is a crime, and the charge must be grand—not petty—larceny." 198.204.141.208 (talk) 14:38, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

I don't know of any specific policy covering the use of jokes about people in their biographies, but I would make use of the general policy that "Wikipedia is an encyclopedia" (specificially, Wikipedia is not an indiscriminate collection of information). Since there's no indication that the corpus of jokes about Keller are important to an understanding of her as an encyclopedic subject, there's no positive purpose in including them here. If they are important to American folklore or humor, then that would be the topic under which they would be discussed. If they were terribly important, then a link to that subject from this article might be justified. For comparison, I don't see any reference to corpi of jokes on the articles about the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster but there is a link to Polish jokes from Polish people (keeping the two subjects correctly separate) --Dystopos (talk) 16:41, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

I think the author of Lies My Teacher Told Me is making a substantial claim regarding the perception of Helen Keller in popular culture, which is important when it comes to understanding anything as an encyclopedic subject. The information currently in this article is largely silent about what, if any, relevance she has today, in spite of sources to the contrary. I don't think any radical change or listing any of the jokes is necessary (or called for), but something like a single line either at the end of the lede or elsewhere in the body of the article to the effect of, "While prominent due to her political activities in her own time, she is better known in the present as the basis for the Hellen Keller joke cycle." does acknowledge the phenomenon and enhances the article. 198.204.141.208 (talk) 18:14, 14 December 2011 (UTC)

If our goal was to teach, relating or showing Keller's impact on popular culture could (and would in my opinion) have value but as that's not a goal of WP, that's not something we should be looking to do. If there are sources that are reliable that show that the jokes are somehow important, then involved editors can discuss including the information as it's a content issue.

If you can find reliable and secondary sources that discuss the jokes, I would consider supporting the inclusion of a mention in the article but most certainly not in the lede. Depending on the amount of sources that discuss the jokes, I could get on board for creating a section but as only one reference has been provided (Lies My Teacher Told Me), inclusion is a bit premature.

Lastly, Lies My Teacher Told Me was explicitly and admittedly written to be interesting. As WP is a non-profit encyclopedia which doesn't have the goal of making money (like LMTTM) or goal of being interesting, including anything/everything that the book does about Keller or any subject for that matter, is illogical.

For instance, that the History Channel talks at length about conspiracy theories because that apparently gets people to watch their shows which brings is ad revenue. That doesn't mean that every conspiracy theory they discuss should be included in an encyclopedia which is why we're called editors and not transcribers. As editors, we do hold some editorial control. OlYeller21^Talktome 18:46, 14 December 2011 (UTC)

FWIW, WP doesn't have explicit goals as goals general imply and end point and WP will never be finished. WP:5P is probably the closest to describing WP's goals, at least to a high degree. OlYeller21^Talktome 18:48, 14 December 2011 (UTC)

You also can learn more by looking through the Talk page archives listed at the top of this page. The issue has been discussed at length, and my recollection is that in addition to the argument that the jokes aren't truly part of her legacy, there was also the logistical problem that every single time any mention whatsoever of the jokes was included, they immediately proliferated and had to be pruned from the article constantly. It derails the whole discussion. Lawikitejana (talk) 23:05, 10 June 2017 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 18 November 2015

The section that talks about Helen Keller Day needs to be properly punctuated. This section: <and sponsors an annual "Helen Keller Day".> should read <and sponsors an annual "Helen Keller Day."> Please remember in the United States, quotations go outside the punctuation. 165.189.200.9 (talk) 17:48, 18 November 2015 (UTC)

• Not done: please establish a consensus for this alteration before using the {{edit semi-protected}} template.
• I have no idea what type of English this article is using (American, British, Canadian, etc.) and going through the article, the punctuation is all over the place. Some are after the quotes, some are before. I do not feel comfortable just changing one without having a concrete idea of what the normal editors of this page feel is appropriate. For that reason, I am marking this request as not done and deferring to the people who normally edit this page. --Stabila711 (talk) 05:25, 19 November 2015 (UTC)

Please see MOS:LQ which explains the rules for punctuation here, which indeed should go inside or outside quotes depending on the context. General Ization ^Talk 02:52, 25 January 2016 (UTC)

Punctuation is on the inside when you are quoting a sentence. "Helen Keller Day". is only seperating the name from the rest of the sentence, which is the correct usage. ::

Orcanium (talk) 10:11, 7 May 2017 (UTC)

In U.S. usage, periods go on the insides of quotes, period. Question marks and exclamation points vary in their placement depending on whether the quoted material is or isn't a question/exclamation, but periods in U.S. usage always go inside the quotation marks, as do commas. Lawikitejana (talk) 03:05, 11 June 2017 (UTC)

Except when they don't. Rivertorch^FIRE_WATER 05:33, 11 June 2017 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 27 June 2017

Correct spelling mistake in "Early childhood and illness" section:- "At 19 months old, she contracted an unkown illness described by doctors..." s/b "At 19 months old, she contracted an unknown illness described by doctors..." PostmanPat47 (talk) 20:11, 27 June 2017 (UTC)

Done Simplexity22 (talk) 21:03, 27 June 2017 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 20 November 2017

Jim Keller - Brother - 1950 - Present TylerSchwartz94 (talk) 17:26, 20 November 2017 (UTC)

Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format. JTP ^{(talk • contribs)} 17:35, 20 November 2017 (UTC)

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typo

"She learned how to tell which person was walking by from the vibrations their footsteps would make."— Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.107.219.45 (talk • contribs) 11:23, 28 February 2018 (UTC)

Done, thanks. Saturnalia0 (talk) 15:35, 28 February 2018 (UTC)

South Park Reference

So I read the article, however, I haven't found any popular cultural reference such as the one in South Park: Helen Keller! The Musical the normally on an article on popular culture such as media are mentioned if it is referenced in pop culture. I don't see why there should be an exemption on this article as South Park has a massive pop culture influence. UserHerName (talk) 08:10, 5 August 2017 (UTC)

Would mentioning that South Park episode in this article help our readers to better understand the topic of this article, i.e., Helen Keller herself? Even if that episode is noteworthy enough to warrant mention, there's nowhere to put it; it would require its own section. That would raise questions of undue weight, and it might be a slippery slope; there are other references to Keller in popular culture, and popular culture sections tend to be very difficult to maintain, deteriorating quickly into veritable cesspools of unsourced trivia bearing only the vaguest connection to the topic. I'd kind of hate to see this article start down that road. Rivertorch^FIRE_WATER 15:21, 5 August 2017 (UTC)

Emphatically agree. If there's a secondary source commenting on the importance of the South Park episode in influencing or reflecting popular perceptions of Keller, fine; otherwise no. This is not to detract from the delicious hilarity of the episode -- I mean, what's funnier than the concept of "Featuring... The Helen Keller Dancers!"? EEng 19:18, 4 April 2018 (UTC)

Minor change

Not to diminish Keller's accomplishments, I don't feel the following part in the opening paragraph is particularly encyclopedic language, or that it is directly supported by the citation following it:

Keller proved to the world that deaf people could all learn to communicate and that they could survive in the hearing world. She also taught that deaf people are capable of doing things that hearing people can do.

I would change this to more neutral language without the sweeping generalization of "proved to the world", or at least insert at the end. 188.67.46.135 (talk) 18:53, 4 April 2018 (UTC)

This either needs to be toned down a bit or quoted and attributed. EEng 19:43, 4 April 2018 (UTC)

I agree, it could use some Wikifying. The text in question was added with this edit by @Chebuck:. And I agree that nothing in the text is supported by that citation. Because I have just pinged Chebuck, I would recommend giving them a little time to come up with a source for "proved to the world" et al. Nothing else in that text seems particularly controversial and I suspect most if not all of it can be sourced elsewhere. Because the current citation does not pertain to the text it follows, I am going to remove it and will replace it with a tag. Hopefully someone will be along to properly source it.

Although, because this was Chebuck's first and only namespace edit, they may not respond. Marteau (talk) 19:58, 4 April 2018 (UTC)

References

Semi-protected edit request on 14 May 2018

good job 168.11.232.2 (talk) 17:06, 14 May 2018 (UTC)

 Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. L293D (☎ • ✎) 17:38, 14 May 2018 (UTC)

Street

There is a street named after her in Neu-Ulm, Germany. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 91.54.60.243 (talk) 23:21, 31 May 2018 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 5 June 2018

Change the "can" for "can't" in this phrase of the introduction:

"She also taught that deaf people are capable of doing things that hearing people can do." Kednar (talk) 08:10, 5 June 2018 (UTC)

 Not done: I believe that is intended; previously many deaf people were viewed as inferior, a prejudice she strongly opposed. Why do you think it should be changed? LittlePuppers (talk) 19:43, 5 June 2018 (UTC)

Changing link suggestion

There are two links after this sentence:

In 1915 she wrote in favor of refusing life-saving medical procedures to infants with severe mental impairments or physical deformities, stating that their lives were not worthwhile and they would likely become criminals.[40][41]

Link 41 gives you this information:

Pernick, M S (November 1997). "Eugenics and public health in American history". American Journal of Public Health. 87 (11): 1767–1772. doi:10.2105/ajph.87.11.1767. PMC 1381159 Freely accessible. PMID 9366633. Retrieved October 12, 2016.

This takes you to a paper that does not actually quote her or her paper. It actually only sources her paper, as seen here:

44. HelenKeller,"Physicians'JuriesforDefective Babies,"TheNew Republic,December 18, 1915, 173-174. See also Pernick, Black Stork, 78-80,97-99,111-114.

I however did find the actual full letter she sent in and would suggest possibly changing it, or adding another link so they have the full source:

http://www.disabilitymuseum.org/dhm/lib/detail.html?id=3209  — Preceding unsigned comment added by Emmywade (talk • contribs) 14:58, 3 September 2018 (UTC) 

Garbage

The following is trivia of the worst kind:
1."Her paternal grandmother was second cousins with Robert E. Lee.[10]" -is this article supposed to inform the reader of significant people in her life or to be the repository of trivia of the most irrelevant type?
2."Though originally from Massachusetts, Charles Adams also fought for the Confederate Army during the American Civil War, earning the rank of colonel (and acting brigadier general). " - so what? (also it's (partially) redundant)
3.One of Helen's Swiss ancestors was the first teacher for the deaf in Zurich. Keller reflected on this coincidence in her first autobiography, stating "that there is no king who has not had a slave among his ancestors, and no slave who has not had a king among his."[10] How is this trivia relevant? I'm pretty sure one of my "ancestors" fought in the Roman Legions, again so what?
and while I'm at it:"She had two siblings, Mildred Campbell and Phillip Brooks Keller, and two older half-brothers..." - last I heard a half-sibling is a sibling. Change to:"She had four siblings; two full siblings, Mildred Campbell and Phillip Brooks Keller, and two older half-brothers..."98.21.72.69 (talk) 12:13, 16 September 2018 (UTC)

 Done Agreed. I've removed most of the trivia you identified. I left the sentence about her ancestor being a teacher for the deaf, as it seems vaguely topical, but I wouldn't object if someone else wanted to remove it. Pburka (talk) 13:48, 4 November 2018 (UTC)

Bad citations

When Keller was young, Anne Sullivan introduced her to Phillips Brooks, who introduced her to Christianity, Keller famously saying: "I always knew He was there, but I didn't know His name!"

followed by three links that literally bring you to Google Books searches for "helen keller but i didn't know his name helen keller". Two of them appear to be religious books with no original research or reference to any primary source whatsoever. The third appears to be contemporary reporting of some kind but lacks a date for the page and provides a different form of a quote.

Come on, you can do better than that. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.136.145.18 (talk) 06:40, 16 November 2018 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 17 November 2018

Change her education in the summary box from "Harvard University" to be "Radcliffe College of Harvard University" as it would be more accurate. 137.22.160.177 (talk) 02:40, 17 November 2018 (UTC)

 Not done: consensus has been to include the name of the overall university, not the individual college. To change that for this specific page, please gain consensus before using this template to request an edit. DannyS712 (talk) 03:55, 17 November 2018 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 7 February 2019

CHANGE " Keller supported eugenics. In 1915 she wrote in favor of refusing life-saving medical procedures to infants with severe mental impairments or physical deformities, stating that their lives were not worthwhile and they would likely become criminals.[41][42] Keller also expressed concerns about human overpopulation.[43][44]" THESE SOURCES ARE NOT CORRECT.

FOR:

Keller did not support eugenics. Keller was a pacifist, a suffragist, a birth-control advocate, a supporter of the NAACP and a co-founder of the ACLU. Keller advocated to provide support to any person with disabilities and argued that socioeconomic status should not be an impediment to access specialized care and education. Uctpspo (talk) 16:15, 7 February 2019 (UTC)

 Not done: Please provide reliable sources supporting your request. Wikipedia operates on a policy of verifiability, and in the absence of contradicting sources there aren't any grounds to change it at this time. ‑‑ElHef (Meep?) 16:36, 7 February 2019 (UTC)

a "...revelator and theologian who gives a spiritual interpretation...of the Bible"

Under the heading "writings", the sixth paragraph describes Emanuel Swedenborg as a "Christian revelator and theologian who gives a spiritual interpretation of the teachings of the Bible..." This is an awkward statement, as "the teachings of the Bible" are presumed to already have "spiritual interpretations" contained within them. Also, the term "revelator" is obscure, and it does not have a link to an explanation for the term. The article for "Revelation" contains relevant information, but I think it may be more concisely expressed within the sentence, rather than directing readers to a different article just to explain what the term means. Bricology (talk) 01:36, 15 February 2019 (UTC)

Wikipedia Citation

I like Who Was Helen Keller? by Gare Thompson.--2604:6000:100E:833C:CD5D:9621:C52F:FD32 (talk) 12:50, 3 August 2019 (UTC)

References

Edit request [April 30, 2019]

Where it says

"A documentary called Shining Soul: Helen Keller's Spiritual Life and Legacy was produced by the Swedenborg Foundation in the same year. The film focuses on the role played by Emanuel Swedenborg's spiritual theology in her life and how it inspired Keller's triumph over her triple disabilities of blindness, deafness and a severe speech impediment. [citation needed]"

is directly copied from https://helenkeller.lynwood.k12.ca.us/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=369697&type=d&pREC_ID=830901.

I don't know how to cite it, but I hope this helps. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2604:6000:100e:833c:cd5d:9621:c52f:fd32 (talk • contribs) 12:51, 3 August 2019 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 3 August 2019

In Who Was Helen Keller, the teacher named Anne Sullivan is known as "Teacher". 2604:6000:100E:833C:CD5D:9621:C52F:FD32 (talk) 12:51, 3 August 2019 (UTC)

 Not done. It's not clear what changes you want to make. Please make a precise request. –Deacon Vorbis (carbon • videos) 19:17, 3 August 2019 (UTC)

Video Footage?

> Video footage showing Helen Keller learning to mimic speech sounds also exists.

Shouldn't this be "Film Footage?" — Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.198.6.204 (talk) 23:34, 6 August 2019 (UTC)

Odd and uneducated citation requests

This page needs a clean-up and the odd citation requests should be removed. Yes, Helen learned language from having sign language spelled to her in her hand. This is basic knowledge and the only way Helen was able to come to understand language at all. The citation request is therefore very odd and must be from someone who is more interested in editing Wiki articles than in learning who Helen was. One only needs to read her autobiography or any other biography to know this is a basic fact.

It is also odd that a citation is requested for proof that Helen touched people's faces to learn how they used their body to produce speech. Helen describes this for herself in her own autobiography.

I wonder if the person who asked for these citations would like to explain how they feel a blind and deaf child learned how to use sign language and then grew up to go to college and give public speeches. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2600:1003:B11E:7F8B:D9C8:6D42:E39E:C171 (talk) 21:29, 22 December 2019 (UTC)

reading Braille and speaking English

The article doesn't mention how old she was when she learned these things. Do any accounts give a rough idea? I assume this was sometime after April 1887 when Sullivan taught her the sign for water. Olivia comet (talk) 18:09, 31 December 2019 (UTC)

Views on race

What were her views on race? From the 1962 film, she grew up in a society where the place of each race was fixed, but her later ideals and her literal blindness to skin color would contradict that. --Error (talk) 12:55, 8 May 2020 (UTC)

This article addresses this issue well. "As an adult, Keller furthered Sullivan’s Progressive ideals: workers’ rights, suffrage and racial equality." --jpgordon^{𝄢𝄆 𝄐𝄇} 14:38, 8 May 2020 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 9 June 2020

we need a fact check on: She tyrannized over the African-American servants.[4] 151.204.152.27 (talk) 03:49, 9 June 2020 (UTC)

 Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. Also, it is not clear what exactly you want to be changed. Is this yet another edit request in the current wave of revisionism due to recent events? RandomCanadian (talk / contribs) 17:50, 9 June 2020 (UTC)

Good luck with changing that in the current atmosphere. Every one is racist. Even Helen Keller as a deaf/blind child. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.167.74.196 (talk) 14:48, 23 June 2020 (UTC)

Section on Keller's "support" of eugenics

The statement that Keller supported eugenics should be amended to note that: this was an early view of hers influenced largely by her friend Margaret Sanger, and Keller never subscribed to the violent and racist strands of eugenicist ideas. In her later writings, Keller denounced the "survival of the fittest" mentality that forms the basis of eugenic thought.

 Not done for now: please establish a consensus for this alteration before using the {{edit semi-protected}} template. This is likely to be a controversial change that would first need to be agreed upon through discussion. — Tartan357  ^(Talk) 12:07, 27 June 2020 (UTC)

References

Correction needed

The photo of Patty Duke with Helen Keller includes a caption which states that Duke payed Anne Sullivan in the film version of The Miracle Worker. In fact, Duke played Keller, and Ann Bancroft played Sullivan. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Jamalam (talk • contribs) 15:04, 4 May 2020 (UTC)

Caption revised to be clear that Duke had the role of Sullivan in the 1979 remake. David notMD (talk) 09:37, 21 October 2020 (UTC)

Can you help? Suggested changes for this article

Hi I'm Helen Selsdon, Archivist at the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB). I am in charge of AFB's archival collections, including the Helen Keller Archive and AFB's historical records. There are a number of inaccuracies and pieces of information that are missing from this article, and I am going to try and correct them. I am a new Wikipedia editor and am looking for editors who are working on this page. Can you help?

NellieKadare (talk) 22:34, 22 December 2020 (UTC)

Suggested changes for opening paragraphs

If anyone here has feedback before I attempt to make the changes, I would be most grateful for advice.

I would like to change the opening paragraphs of this article to read as follows:

"Helen Adams Keller (June 27, 1880 – June 1, 1968) was an American author, disability rights advocate, political activist and lecturer. She was the first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. Keller worked for the American Foundation for the Blind from 1924 until 1968, during which time she toured the United States and traveled to 39 countries around the globe advocating for those with vision loss.

Keller was a prolific author, writing 14 books and hundreds of speeches and essays on topics ranging from animals to Mahatma Gandhi. Keller campaigned for those with disabilities, for women’s suffrage, labor rights, and world peace. She joined the Socialist party in 1909. She was a supporter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and an original member of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU minutes, 1920). In 1933, when her book How I became a Socialist was burned by Nazi youth, she wrote an open letter to the Student Body of Germany condemning censorship and prejudice."

NellieKadare (talk) 17:44, 23 December 2020 (UTC)

I’m here to help! DrMel (talk) 17:49, 23 December 2020 (UTC)

Helen Adams Keller (June 27, 1880 – June 1, 1968) was an American author, disability rights advocate, political activist and lecturer. She was the first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. Keller worked for the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) from 1924 until 1968, during which time she toured the United States and traveled to 39 countries around the globe advocating for those with vision loss. Keller was a prolific author, writing 14 books and hundreds of speeches and essays on topics ranging from animals to Mahatma Gandhi. Keller campaigned for those with disabilities, for women’s suffrage, labor rights, and world peace. She joined the Socialist Party of America in 1909. She was a supporter of the NAACP and an original member of the American Civil Liberties Union. In 1933, when her book How I became a Socialist was burned by Nazi youth, she wrote an open letter to the Student Body of Germany condemning censorship and prejudice.

I've expanded the lead a bit to make it more self-contained, per the guideline on lead sections]. Graham87 07:34, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

References

Semi-protected edit request on 29 January 2021

174.76.113.49 (talk) 17:06, 29 January 2021 (UTC)

she was born June 27,1880 and and she die on June 1,1968

That's what the article says. What needs to be changed? ‑‑ElHef (Meep?) 17:52, 29 January 2021 (UTC)

Section Pop Culture

Under the above section, it says that "a joke about doubting the existence and achievements of Helen Keller began on TikTok". However, I klicked on the article linked to that sentence (link below) and it says that "the videos both satirically and seriously question the unbelievable story of Helen Keller’s life" ; not that it actually began as a joke. Rather, the article insinuates that ut was foremostly seriously intended, further explaining that it is a typical symptom of the younger generation.

So, should the section use another word than "joke"?

Link: https://medium.com/@isabellalahoue/the-generation-that-doesnt-believe-helen-keller-existed-e14d5945013c

Okama-San (talk) 10:54, 3 February 2021 (UTC)

I removed the recently added text because it is WP:UNDUE. Johnuniq (talk) 02:51, 4 February 2021 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 16 March 2021

Hi! So I'm here because I saw how you said under"Formal Education" that Helen sense vibrations with her hand and learned to read sign language with her hand as well, and how it wasn't properly sited. I think the source that you're looking for is on this recording with Helen and Anne Sullivan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdTUSignq7Y StudentBeepBoop13 (talk) 23:29, 16 March 2021 (UTC)

We generally don't use YouTube videos as sources, especially when the copyright is unclear. I'm not familiar with the uploader in this case to make that call. However, I've found other written sources that back up the same information. Thanks for the help! ◢  Ganbaruby!  (Say hi!) 02:58, 17 March 2021 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 7 May 2021

please change 39 countries to 35 countries 68.112.20.130 (talk) 17:32, 7 May 2021 (UTC)

 Done ScottishFinnishRadish (talk) 17:46, 7 May 2021 (UTC)

File:Helen Keller circa 1920 - restored.jpg scheduled for POTD

Hello! This is to let editors know that the featured picture, File:Helen Keller circa 1920 - restored.jpg which is used in this article, has been selected as the English Wikipedia's picture of the day (POTD) for June 27, 2021. A preview of the POTD is displayed below and can be edited at Template:POTD/2021-06-27. For the greater benefit of readers, any potential improvements or maintenance that could benefit the quality of this article should be done before its scheduled appearance on the Main Page. If you have any concerns, please place a message at Wikipedia talk:Picture of the day. Thank you! Cwmhiraeth (talk) 10:49, 21 June 2021 (UTC)

Helen Keller (June 27, 1880 – June 1, 1968) was an American author, political activist, and lecturer. She lost her sight and hearing after a bout of illness at the age of nineteen months. When she was seven years old, she met her first teacher and life-long companion, Anne Sullivan, who taught her language skills, including reading and writing. After attending Radcliffe College at Harvard University, she became the first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. She worked for the American Foundation for the Blind for many years, during which time she toured the United States and traveled to 35 countries around the world. This 1920 photograph depicts Keller examining a magnolia flower.

Photograph credit: Los Angeles Times; restored by Rhododendrites

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Missing information on eugenics stance

Under "Political activities," there is a paragraph about Keller's support for eugenics. I think if this is included, we also have to mention that she advocated for this stance only briefly and later spoke against it. We might also consider being more specific about her condoning bans on life-saving treatment for disabled babies. Picnicsandstars (talk) 01:09, 11 December 2021 (UTC)

Also, eugenics has different meanings. Keller thought that doctors should not save severely mentally disabled babies and defended a doctor who withheld care. That was a fairly common position in 1915 and in fact until the 1970s. Maybe you could re-phrase it. TFD (talk) 04:38, 11 December 2021 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 9 May 2022

Under Helen Keller portrayals, there is no mention of the Murdoch Mysteries episode about her and featuring her. In season 11 episode 3 “8 footsteps”, Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan Macy are visiting Toronto in 1904, and Helen is portrayed in a fictional romance, one that ends in tragedy and leaves her saying, “I will never love again”. Helen is portrayed by Amanda Richer. ThunderKate (talk) 23:55, 9 May 2022 (UTC)

 Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. ScottishFinnishRadish (talk) 00:02, 10 May 2022 (UTC)

English

In1886 her parents took her to see doctor Alexander Graham Bell ,the man who invented the telephone — Preceding unsigned comment added by 41.115.102.119 (talk) 12:48, 23 May 2022 (UTC)

Helen you

Helen Adams Keller June 27 1880 - June 1 1968 an American author 2600:8801:351E:7600:B91B:5B6F:44F:876B (talk) 04:30, 11 May 2022 (UTC)

Helen Keller Resource Centre in Malta

Please add that the Helen Keller Resource Centre in Qrendi, Malta, an educational centre for students with sensory and multiple disabilities, is named after Helen Keller. https://education.gov.mt/en/education/student-services/Pages/Special_Education/Resource%20Centres/St-Benedict-College,-Helen-Keller,-SecondaryYoung-Adult-Education-Resource-Centre.aspx

https://edumalta.gov.mt/en/schools/state-schools/st-benedict-college-helen-keller-resource-centre — Preceding unsigned comment added by 88.203.63.90 (talk) 05:27, 19 May 2022 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 20 May 2022

I want edit Helen Keller page because have Street naked Helen Keller in São Paulo and Londrina. 2804:18:18F0:FC22:44A1:E613:86A1:EAB9 (talk) 18:42, 20 May 2022 (UTC)

 Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. I'm assuming you meant to say you have a street named Helen Keller. Either way, describe the change you want in article and provide a WP:RS WikiVirusC^(talk) 18:52, 20 May 2022 (UTC)

[2],[3] - Here is the referência about streets in Brazil named Helen Keller in São Paulo and Londrina. - 2804:18:18F0:FC22:44A1:E613:86A1:EAB9 (talk) 19:00, 20 May 2022 (UTC).

Semi-protected edit request on 1 June 2022

The first mention of William Gibson on the page should be linked to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Gibson_(playwright) as reading this sentence for someone only familiar with the sci-fi author William Gibson, (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Gibson) could give them the wrong idea. I also suggest adding the word "playwright" before his name to further remove this confusion.

Ie, change from: "It was adapted as a play by William Gibson" To: "It was adapted as a play by playwright William Gibson" 94.255.218.245 (talk) 08:49, 1 June 2022 (UTC)

 Partly done: I wikilinked it, but did not include playwright, as someone adapting something as a play makes them a playwright. I believe having the wikilink should provide enough clarification. Additionally, I would love to read a cyberpunk adaptation of Helen Keller's life. ScottishFinnishRadish (talk) 11:12, 1 June 2022 (UTC)

Edit Request

A likeness of Helen Keller has appeared on the $50 Series I U.S. Savings Bond since they were first issued in 1998 through the present. This should be mentioned in the "Posthumous honors" section and it may be appropriate to add an image as well. Here are some links and an image:

https://www.treasurydirect.gov/indiv/research/history/histtime/histtime_sb.htm

https://www.treasurydirect.gov/indiv/research/indepth/ibonds/res_ibonds_ibondslooklike.htm

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:$50_Series_I_US_Savings_Bond.gif 70.161.184.53 (talk) 00:39, 2 August 2022 (UTC)

List of books

"writing 14 books" Where is that number coming from? I dont see any sources listing the 14 titles anywhere. Following the afb link is anything but easy. I at least cannot deduce from the archieve alone what counts as book/short story/letter. Can someone who can differentiate that actually compile a full list oftitles? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 46.114.194.255 (talk) 10:23, 8 August 2022 (UTC)

Helen keller

She is deafblind 2405:201:F010:10B2:CCD4:42BD:BF6C:281E (talk) 14:16, 23 August 2022 (UTC)

Not anymore. EEng 19:02, 23 August 2022 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 29 January 2023

There is a grammar error 2A02:C7F:6069:5400:11D9:2941:257A:9485 (talk) 09:17, 29 January 2023 (UTC)

 Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. Cannolis (talk) 09:22, 29 January 2023 (UTC)

Grammar problems

"It was adapted as a play by William Gibson, and this was also adapted as a film under the same title, The Miracle Worker."

should be changed to

It was adapted by William Gibson into the play The Miracle Worker, which was later adapted into a film under the same title. 135.180.193.96 (talk) 22:01, 12 February 2023 (UTC)

Who is Mariah Wright?

Born in 2010 still alive. Whyhateejojoo (talk) 06:13, 27 February 2023 (UTC)

(a) I assume you meant 1910.

(b) What's the relevance to Helen Keller? -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 06:26, 27 February 2023 (UTC)

Lack of Context on Keller's Eugenics

Under the section: Career, writings, and political activities in the second last paragraph as of 22/4/23, the article gives an account:

"In 1915, she wrote in favor of refusing life-saving medical procedures to infants with severe mental impairments or physical deformities, saying that their lives were not worthwhile and they would likely become criminals"

This cites two secondary accounts of Keller, and if one were to examine the original document by Keller(Physicians' Juries for Defective Babies), her assumption that perfect information is present, and Keller recognises that without perfect information the system can be abused.

This is just my understanding of the primary text, but I would feel it ought to be at least mentioned with context of Keller's primary text on the point mentioned.

I do not endorse Keller on Eugenics, it is an abhorrent view. I simply think the primary text ought to be referenced.

Seán Thim (talk) 19:00, 22 April 2023 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 27 June 2023

"please change The family were part of the slaveholding elite before the war, but lost status later.[10]" to The family suffered a serious financial setback after the war" Lareichard (talk) 23:04, 27 June 2023 (UTC)

 Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. How do you think this change would make the article beter? NotAGenious (talk) 05:37, 28 June 2023 (UTC)

The assertion that her family were slaveholders is not supported by the citation therefore no source to disprove an unproven claim is needed. To make the change clarifies Helen Keller's early childhood where she learned ethics, morals and respect for other people. To cast her family as slaveholders on no supported documentation, reflects a completely different set of standards she was taught. It prejudices the reader. Lareichard (talk) 00:42, 29 June 2023 (UTC)

Is my request for the change being considered or ignored? Lareichard (talk) 15:16, 1 July 2023 (UTC)

The edit will not be made until a reliable source is provided to support the claim. - FlightTime (open channel) 15:29, 1 July 2023 (UTC)