June 23rd – 29th is National Deaf-Blind Awareness Week

In honor of Helen Keller’s birthday, June 27th, the last week of June has been designated as Deaf-Blind Awareness Week.

A remarkable woman, Helen Keller became deaf and blind at the age of 19 months following an illness.  At seven-years-old, living a world she described as, “at sea in a dense fog”, Helen’s family sought out the assistance of the Perkins Institute for the Blind.  Perkins connected the Keller family with Anne Sullivan, who would become Helen’s tutor and lifelong companion.  With the help of Anne’s patient, creative tutoring and her own determination, Helen Keller learned to communicate with the world. She went on to become the first deaf-blind person to obtain a Bachelor of Arts degree, become a world-famous speaker and disability rights activist, as well as to help found the Helen Keller International organization and the American Civil Liberties Union.

Helen Keller’s ability to communicate and connect with the world around her enabled her to become a veritable force for change in this world.  At ND Assistive, we strive to bring assistive technology devices and services into the lives of those who need it.  Through iCanConnect: The National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Service, we are able to provide FREE assistive technology devices and training to enable North Dakotans with deaf-blindness to communicate and connect with the world via access to advanced communications such as email, Facebook, Skype, and the phone.  Check out the video below to learn more about this great program!