The coincidence that Keller speaks of in Chapter 1 is that one of her ancestors on her father's side taught the deaf in Switzerland. This ancestor was the first teacher of the deaf in Zurich and wrote a book on the subject. This situation is unique because when Keller was born, the field of deaf education could be considered in its relative infancy. It is also a strange coincidence because Keller was not born deaf but became deaf by contracting a childhood illness, perhaps secret fever or meningitis, that caused her to be both deaf and blind. Her parents were not educated in how to work with deaf children, and they eventually brought her to a physician who referred the family to Alexander Graham Bell. Through him, the family was connected with Anne Sullivan, Keller's teacher and friend for many years, and to the Perkins Institute for the Blind in Boston.
No comments:
Post a Comment