Anne Sullivan

Anne Sullivan was an American teacher and lifelong friend of Helen Keller. She is responsible for teaching Keller to read and write using various methods including braille, sign language, and the typewriter.

Fast Facts

1. Born: April 14, 1866
2. Full Name: Johanna Mansfield Sullivan Macy
3. Blinded by trachoma at age 5
4. Regained some sight after surgery in 1880 at the Perkins School for the Blind
5. Moved in with Helen Keller in 1886
6. Became completely blind in 1935
7. Died: October 20, 1936

Timeline

1. April 14, 1866: Anne Sullivan was born in Feeding Hills, Massachusetts. Her parents were poor, illiterate Irish immigrants.
2. October 1880: After a direct plea to a state official who had come to inspect the Tewksbury almshouse, Sullivan was allowed to leave her almhouse, and enroll in the Perkins School for the Blind in Boston, Massachusetts
3. March 1887: Anne Sullivan began teaching Helen Keller
4. October 20, 1936: Anne Sullivan died at her home in Forest Hills, New York

Significance

Anne Sullivan is known as the person who broke the communication barrier for Helen Keller. Anne was Helen's educator for thirteen years and taught her to speak using the Tadoma method and fingerspelling letters.

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