Making an Impact In the world we live in today, people tend to take the simple things in life, like sight and sound, for granted. Helen Keller (1880-1968) was born physically normal in Tuscumbia, Alabama, but lost her sight and hearing at the age of nineteen months due to a disease now believed to be scarlet fever (History.com). Five years later, Keller's parents applied for her to attend the Perkins Institute for the Blind in Boston, where Anne Mansfield Sullivan was subsequently hired as her teacher. When asked about Sullivan, Keller added, "The most important day I remember in my entire life is the day my teacher, Anne Mansfield Sullivan, came to me." Keller learned from Sullivan to read and write braille and to use the hand signals of the deaf, which he could only understand by touch (History.com). Helen Keller uses her disabilities and ambition to show that it is possible to make an impact on the world, even if there are obstacles to overcome. After graduating from the Perkins Institute for the Blind, Keller hoped to go to college. After being told multiple times that it would be impossible for her to go to college considering her disabilities, Keller was determined to become the first deafblind person to graduate with a bachelor's degree. Keller dreamed of going to Harvard, but it was 1890 and Harvard didn't accept women. She then focused on her second choice, Radcliffe College (America's Library). In the fall of 1900, Keller entered Radcliffe. She lived in one of the dormitories, along with Sullivan and several other girls. The idea of ​​being “just like other girls” was one of the things Keller liked best. She would later discover that she would actually be different and would have to work harder than... middle of paper... remaining with gratitude and humility throughout her life. Keller is an inspiration to all people, not just those with disabilities. It proves that anything can be accomplished through hard work, dedication and faith. Works Cited “Going to Radcliffe College.” Go to Radcliffe College. American Library and Web. January 8, 2014. "Helen Keller." History.com. A&E and Web Television Networks. January 8, 2014. "The Incredible Dog: Helen Keller's Beloved Akitas." The Amazing Dog: Helen Keller's Beloved Akitas. Np, nd Web. January 8, 2014.Jay, Michelle. "Helen Keller." ASL begins. Np, nd Web. 8 January 2014.McGinnity, B.L., Seymour-Ford, J., and Andries, K.J. (2004) Helen Keller. Perkins Museum of History, Perkins School for the Blind, Watertown, MA. Perkins. Np, nd Web. January 8, 2014. "National Museum of Women's History." Education and resources. Np, nd Web. 8 January. 2014.