ACHIEVERS

LAURA BRIDGMAN (1829–1889) b. Hanover, N.H. was the first blind and deaf person to be successfully educated.  Under the guidance of Dr. S. G. Howe, of the Perkins School for the Blind, she learned to read and write and to sew, eventually becoming a sewing teacher at the school, where she remained until her death. As a girl and young woman, Bridgman was famous, her life and education described in newspapers and magazines worldwide. Her fame was later eclipsed by that of Helen Keller.

MARLEE MATLIN has appeared in a variety of popular television shows: The West Wing, Desperate Housewives, Seinfeld – just to name a few.  She also received an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the 1986 movie Children of a Lesser God, and was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2009. Marlee Matlin is also deaf. She has shattered people’s preconceived notions of what deafness must mean for a person’s future and she has paved the way for others like herself.

QUIZ: Who was Helen Keller’s teacher?

ANSWER:   ANNE SULLIVAN

 

Sources:          www.Masterschannel.com       www.infoplease.com