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The first time someone called me fake news, I laughed. Then another insisted a Deafblind person couldn’t go to Harvard. Nearly every disabled person has experienced the old, “You’re faking it” line. Even #HelenKeller. She brushed them off saying, “Oh, the supercilious doubters!”
On TikTok people are once again calling Helen Keller a fraud because a Deafblind woman allegedly can’t write books, can’t sign her name on books, can’t travel to 39 countries, and can’t fly a plane. Helen’s life is well documented & anyone can review the many articles & videos.
Helen Keller wrote her books with a typewriter & braille, she signed her books with a pen & a tactile writing guide, she traveled the world on planes with interpreters, & one time while flying over the Mediterranean the pilot invited her to hold the controls for a few minutes.
I wrote my book using braille and assistive technology. I can sign my book, but my handwriting is not as neat as Helen’s. I’ve visited 21 countries so far and hope to catch up to her 39. I’ve never been in the cockpit of a plane, but I’d love to have that experience!
Keep asking questions, but do the research, too. Encourage schools to teach students about disability history. And finally, encourage Gen Zers and people you know on TikTok to learn how #HelenKeller lived her extraordinary life.
