Helen Keller (June 27, 1880 – June 1, 1968) Keller was an American author, disability rights advocate and speaker. She lost her hearing and sight after an illness at nineteen months old. At the age of seven, she met her first teacher Anne Sullivan, who taught her reading and writing. She became the first deaf and blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. In her lifetime, Keller wrote 14 books and hundreds of speeches. She campaigned for those with disabilities, women’s suffrage, labor rights, and world peace.