FAMOUS BLIND & DEAF AUTHORESS TO VISIT N.Z.

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22658, 8 June 1948, Page 6

FAMOUS BLIND & DEAF AUTHORESS TO VISIT N.Z.

Miss Helen Adams Keller, the American blind and deal authoress and lecturer, will arrive at Auckland from Australia at about the end of July. As she is likely to arrive on July 28 and leave again on August 9, her tour will be restricted. She is expected to give public lectures during her visit. Arrangements for the visit by Miss Keller, who will be the guest of the New Zealand Government, are being made by the Internal Allairs Department. She is at present in Australia at the invitation of the Royal Sydney industrial Blind Institution, and her visit there is the first lap of a world tour that will last until March, 1949. Bringing Courage To Blind

The trip, on which Miss Keller is accompanied by “her eyes," Miss Polly 'rnompson, is sponsored oy the John Milton Society ror the Blind, an agency cievoted to the bringing of spiritual stiength, courage and nope to the blind of ah ages, tnrough the dissemination of literature in Braille. Dr. Milton T. Stauuer, author, minister and general secretary or lire John Milton Society, and Mrs. Staulfer, are travelling wun miss Keller and Miss Thompson. Now bij years old, Helen Keiler remams one ol tne world's most remarkable women. She still lias surprising energy and a dauntless spirit, ror years she nas worked actively in the American foundation lor the Blind and has travelled over the world raising money lor them. Triumphs An Inspiration In addition to making her a worldrenowned figure, Helen Keller's triumphs over ner own nanuicays have become an inspiration to blind persons mrougnout me world, fitness at tne age lot 19 months completely robbed her of ner signt and nearing. When she was about seven ivuss .mino Sullivan, a teacner irom the Perkins Institution in noston began to teach her. Helen Keller describes mat as tne most important event in her life. The two were constant companions until Miss Sullivan died in lojli. Miss Sunn an began by spelling words into Helen Keller s hand by means of the manual alphabet. At first tne pupil I was very sell-willed, but this tendency | was overcome, and she gradually I learned to react ana type Braille and ■ also to write. mater sue was taught j arithmetic, geography, zoology and botany and also the Morse aipnubet. In it,9o she had lessons in speaking, but was greatly handicapped Decause she could not watch lip movements' like enudren who are merely deaf. She had to feel the lips of her teacher and had to work night and day before she could be undcrstOQd even by her closest triends. Later she learned to speak Drench and German. Examination Successes After attending a girls’ school, she passed her preliminary examination for Kadeiifl'e College, Harvard University, in English, r reach, German, Latin and also Green, and Roman history, gaining Honours in English and German.. In a later entrance test she had to take algebra, geometry and Greek. She began ner university course in 1900 and graduated as a bachelor of arts in 1904. Miss Sullivan attended the classes with her and had to interpret the instruction given, read books and look up words lor ner out of school hours. At the end of her second year at Radcliii'e College Helen Keller wrote her first, book, “The Story of My Life,” which made her known to the world. In 1931, the Temple University of Philadelphia awarded her the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, and in 1932 Glasgow University conferred on her the degree of Doctor of Laws.