Helen Keller statue is unveiled in Washington
A bronze statue of Helen Keller was unveiled in Washington yesterday as lawmakers praised her as a trailblazer and an inspiration for those with disabilities.
The statue shows Keller, who lost her sight and hearing to illness when she was 19 months old, standing at a water pump as a seven year-old, a look of recognition on her face as water streams into her hand.
It depicts the moment in 1887 when teacher Anne Sullivan spelled "W-A-T-E-R" into one of the child's hands as she held the other under the pump. It's the moment when Keller realised meanings were hidden in the manual alphabet shapes Sullivan had taught her to make with her hands.
"W-A-T-E-R," said Alabama Gov. Bob Riley. "Five simple letters that helped rescue seven year-old Helen Keller from a world of darkness and a world of silence.
"It is this defining moment that we celebrate today. And in time, this moment so vividly depicted by this statue helped the world to understand that all of us, regardless of any disability, have a mind that can be educated, a hand that can be trained, a life that will have meaning."
Keller learned to speak and earned a degree from Radcliffe College and the women's branch of Harvard University. She traveled the world as an adult, wrote 12 books and championed causes including women's suffrage and workers' rights.
Carl Augusto, president and CEO of the American Foundation for the Blind, told the crowd he thinks Keller, who worked for the foundation for the last 44 years of her life, "would have loved this impressive statue of herself and the symbolism attached."
The statue is made of bronze with a base of marble.
Comments
helen keller has been very much on my mind as i am embarking upon learning a new language: BSL. as a small child, when i first heard the story of helen keller, i was very touched and moved to tears. i felt i had a connection with her somehow, even though i have no sensory disabilities. now, much later in life, i have been asked by a buddhist organization at which i volunteer to learn and then translate their teachings for the deaf and hearing impaired...
everything in life comes full circle.
i am currently trying to find resources for developing my ability to sign in depth. i am learning on my own, for now, but i would very much like to practice with others. i am also interested in one-to-one tutoring. (i live in the Dumfriesshire area of Scotland.)
i find sign language beautiful. a very sensual, subtle and ultimately feline type of communication.
blessings,
rj
Posted by: rj | October 29, 2009 05:28 PM