Every year, Helen Keller Day is marked on June 27 in the United States of America, which celebrates the life and achievements of Helen Keller. The holiday observance was created by presidential proclamation in 2006, as well as by international organizations, particularly those helping the blind and the deaf. Keller was an American author, disability rights advocate, political activist, and lecturer. Born in West Tuscumbia, Alabama, Keller lost her sight and her hearing after a bout of illness when she was 19 months old. She communicated using home signs until the age of seven when she met her first teacher and life-long companion Anne Sullivan. Little-Known Facts About the History’s First Deaf Blind Person and Disability Rights Advocate.

Sullivan taught Keller language, including reading and writing. After an education at school, Keller attended Radcliffe College of Harvard University and became the first deafblind person in the United States to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Helen Keller Day 2023 Date

Helen Keller Day 2023 will be celebrated on Tuesday, June 27. Deafblind Awareness Week 2023 Start and End Dates.

Helen Keller Day History

Helen Keller Day was first proclaimed on March 27, 1980, by Newark, New Jersey, mayor Leo P. Carlin. On June 7, 1960, the then Annapolis, Maryland, mayor Arthur G. Ellington announced Keller's 80th birthday. On June 19, 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued Proclamation #4767 to honour Helen Keller and her accomplishment. Every year on June 27, an annual fashion show is held as a fundraiser in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania.

Since 1971, the Lions Club International declared the holiday on June 1 annually to commemorate the speech Keller gave on June 30, 1925, to spread awareness of the American Foundation for the Blind. The day is generally observed internationally through the Blind Association and other international organizations that help people with this disability.

Helen Keller Day Significance

Keller’s birthday on June 27 is commemorated as Helen Keller Day in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The day is a perfect opportunity to remember the great work done by Keller. It was authorized at the federal level by presidential proclamation by President Jimmy Carter in 1980, the 100th anniversary of her birth. Keller’s legacy of civil service and resilient spirit is everlasting and continues to inspire millions across the world. The day celebrates the life and achievements of Keller, a woman who overcame blindness and deafness and achieved all she desired.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 27, 2023 11:10 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).