Perkins School for the Blind
By Karen Santiago
[email protected]
Part 2: Three Women
There are three famous women from Perkins history. Two of them, most of us know. However, the third person, most of us do not know. Until this tour and the story Kevin told me, I did not know of this woman. Read below to learn about these amazing women, what they overcame, and the impressions they made.
Laura Bridgman: (1829 1889)
Before Lauras second birthday, she and her two older sisters developed scarlet fever. Her sisters died, and Lauras parents thought the same would happen to her. However, Laura survived but with side effects from the fever. She only had one of her five senses left, that being her sense of touch.
Dr. Howe heard of Laura from a friend and said that he could teach her. Laura arrived at Perkins when she was seven years old. But before she arrived, Dr. Howe labeled everything with raised print. Laura learned to read the raise print and associate it with the items to which they referred. Dr. Howe then mixed up the raised print. For example, he put the word table on the lamp. Laura new the words, and could correctly match the raised print words with the different objects. Next, Dr. Howe cut the raised print words into individual letters. Laura was then able to take the single letters and form them into words. Gradually, in this way, she learned the alphabet and the ten digits. Finally, Dr. Howe taught Laura sign language, by signing the letters into her hand so she could feel it.
Despite other doctors and professionals who stated that it would be impossible to teach a deaf/ blind child, Dr. Howe did just that. Laura was a brilliant student, who learned rather quickly. She could read raised letters, communicate in tactile sign, and she could write. Laura Bridgman was the first ever deaf/ blind child to be educated. Lauras favorite thing to do when away from her lessons was to sew.
Special visitor to the Perkins School in 1842:
On a tour of America for his book, American Notes, Charles dickens visited the Perkins School. His tour was planned for 30 minutes, however he stayed for the entire day. He was fascinated by the 12-year-old girl named Laura Bridgman. He observed her in the classroom. He watched her talk with her friends. He saw her sewing. Through an interpreter, Charles asked her questions about her life. He was blown away by her.
In 1844 American Notes by charles Dickens was published. For the most part, the book does not offer a favorable view of America. However, there were a few things Dickens liked. But, there were only two things he loved; Niagara Falls and the twelve-year-old girl in Boston, Laura Bridgman. He devoted one entire chapter to her.
At that time, Dickens was the biggest author and everyone read his books. Perkins then became world famous, as did Dr. Howe. For the next 15 years, Laura Bridgman was the most famous person in the world after Queen Victoria. Little girls tied ribbons around their dolls eyes to be like Laura. Thousands of people visited the Perkins School.
Laura graduated and went back home to her family and farm in New Hampshire. With no friends or job, she became depressed. Her mother worried about her and contacted Dr. Howe. He visited and took Laura back to Perkins with him.
Once there, Dr. Howe made Laura the seamstress for the school. She made clothes for the students, mended them, and taught sewing to the girls. She worked there for 40 years. She also opened a small gift shop where she sold the things she made.
Laura died at age 60, and she was almost immediately forgotten. Most people saw her simply as a seamstress. No one gave her credit for what she overcame to be employed and to have a purpose in life. The point is, Laura Bridgman is important for two words; Helen Keller. Laura made Helens story possible, and its the same exact story, up to a point.
Helen Keller: (1880 - 1968)
Helen Keller lived on a farm with her parents and older brother. When she was around 19 months old she developed a fever, and lost her hearing and vision. The difference was Lauras farm was 100 miles from Perkins, while Helens farm was half across the country in Alabama.
Helens parents did not know about the Perkins School or Laura Bridgman. When Helen was 6 years old someone gave Helens mom a book by Charles Dickens., American Notes. Helens parents saw some hope for their daughter. Her father was given the name of a teacher of the deaf in Washington, D. C., who he wrote to. This person was Alexander Graham Bell and he asked Perkins to send a teacher for Helen.
Anne Sullivan: (1866 - 1936)
Anne and her little brother were sent to a workhouse in Tewksbury, Massachusetts after their mom died and their alcoholic father couldnt take care of them. While in the workhouse people were forced to work 12 14 hours a day in exchange for food and a bed. The food was horrible, but in Annes case the bed was worse. Her bedroom just happened to be where they kept the dead bodies. Three months after they arrive, one of the dead bodies was her little brother.
Anne developed an eye infection that was left untreated, and she went blind. She never went to school. She couldnt count to ten, and couldnt spell her name. One day an inspector from the state came to inspect the workhouse. Unlike all the previous inspectors who just walked passed Anne, he went over and talked to her. He asked her if there was anything in the world she wanted. Anne told him that she wanted to go to school. The inspector knew Dr. Howe and arrangements were made for Anne to attend the Perkins School.
At age 13, Anne attended school for the very first time. She knew less than the kindergarteners. She was a terror with a major attitude. She was not liked by the other students and spent most of her time alone in her room.
Then after a few months, a couple of good things happen. First, doctors looked at her eyes and were able to restore some of Annes vision. She had eleven total operations on her eyes. Each time she got a bit of vision back. When her eyes worsened, she had another surgery and some sight was restored. She always had pain in her eyes, and she was sensitive to sunlight, but she could see for the first time in many years.
The second thing that happened, and was better than seeing again, Anne had a friend. Her very first friend ever. This person was not another student, but someone 30 years older and who worked for Perkins. This female employee heard about the girl who was not liked and who spent most of her time alone in her room. Annes first friend was Laura Bridgman.
In order for the two friends to communicate, Laura taught Ann tactile sign. She also helped Anne with her studies, and Anne went from the worst student to the best.
Anne graduated valedictorian and wanted to teach. She was offered a teaching job for a young girl in Alabama. However, Anne said no, she wanted to teach the blind students at Perkins. She said that she didnt know how to teach a deaf/ blind child, even though her friend was deaf/ blind. It was Laura who convinced Anne to go to Alabama and teach the young deaf/ blind girl named Helen Keller.
Again, Laura was forgotten because she was seen as a seamstress, and that was it. But she made Anne possible and she made Helen possible. And, Helen changed the world. Fifty years after the experts said that a deaf/ blind child couldnt be educated, Helen Keller graduated with honors from Radcliffe University (Harvard's women's college).
International Perspective
By Karen Santiago
[email protected]