Ask Keller

Are you curious about some aspect of Helen Keller's life, and haven't been able to find the answer to your question? Ask Keller Johnson-Thompson, Helen's great-grandniece. This monthly column features real questions from readers like you.

1. First, we wanted to know what type of hearing aid Helen Keller used, if any?

Helen Keller never wore a hearing aid. She was profoundly deaf and a hearing aid would not have assisted her in hearing.

2. Did Helen Keller ever get married or have any children?

Although Helen Keller was engaged to be married at one time, she did not follow through with the marriage. She would never marry and would never have any children.

3. Besides her blindness and deafness, did she have any other health problems?

Helen Keller did not have any major health problems growing up, but as she got older, her health started to take a turn for the worse and she suffered several strokes.

4. How many years did it take Helen Keller to learn sign language?

Helen Keller never learned what today we know as American Sign Language. She simply finger-spelled letters, words, and phrases into the person's hands that she was communicating with. She did learn to speak, although she was not very easy to understand if you were not use to hearing her.

5. How did Helen Keller learn braille?

Helen Keller learned braille at the Perkins School for the Blind in Boston. She had to work very hard, but she did master Braille and used it every day, as many blind people today use it. Helen Keller had to learn that braille symbols are formed within units of space known as Braille cells. A full braille cell consists of six raised dots arranged in two parallel rows each having three dots. The dot positions are identified by numbers from one through six. Sixty-four combinations are possible using one or more of these six dots. A single cell can be used to represent an alphabet letter, number, punctuation mark, or even a whole word. Once she learned this, just like sighted people learn to recognize words with their eyes, she was on her way to reading. She enjoyed reading very much.