This week’s movie review is about the early life of Helen Keller and how her teacher helped her overcome her disability. I had read some things about Helen Keller when I was younger but, didn’t realize what an activist and advocate she had been in her lifetime.
There were a handful of messages I took from the movie that are important to me about being a person with a disability. In today’s post, I am going to share some of them with you.
1.Pity – It was ironic to me how in the movie, Helen’s parents let her eat off of their plates by walking around the table and picking at their food with her hands. This was because Helen’s parents did not think she could be taught to eat with everyone else at the dinner table. On the other hand, part of what probably helped Helen succeed in her life was the fact that Ann Sullivan, her teacher, did not feel sorry for her. In my opinion, the fact that her teacher did not take pity on her helped her become the activist she was later on in life. I don’t ever believe in pitying anyone because of their disability, it serves no purpose and there is no real benefit to the person who is disabled.
2. Dignity– Because of her inability to communicate, I got the sense that Helen’s parents felt like she was more feeble than a baby. On the other hand, her teacher knew that she could have the ability to communicate if she in fact worked at it. She treated Helen in a dignified manner. This is how everyone deserves to be treated.
3. Perseverance– Anne Sullivan, who was Helen Keller’s teacher and companion for most of her life,  believed in Helen even more than her own parents. I know that Helen Keller lived before things like the Americans with Disabilities Act, so really, very little was expected of her but thankfully, she had Ms. Sullivan who continually worked with Helen to help her unlock her actual potential despite the physical barriers she faced.
4. Independent Living Skills– To me, this movie demonstrates the first attempts at teaching a person with a disability independent living skills. Helen’s teacher was able to teach Helen skills such as feeding herself and communication through the use of sign language. In today’s world, this is not so uncommon. There is more information and resources available that demonstrate how to teach independent living skills to people with different disabilities.
5. Faith– Sometimes, the person who has faith in us and ends up making a difference in our lives is not a parent or even a family member. Maybe it is a friend or a teacher we have in school. We may not even realize who or what makes us have faith in ourselves. The important thing is to strive to do the best we can with what we are given and believe we can accomplish whatever goal we want to achieve.
These are just a few high points I got from the movie. So far, both movies I have seen in doing this series for the blog have been really good. I am hoping that the last two movies I picked illustrate people who are disabled in such a refreshing light as well.
Finally, I don’t believe in being ashamed of a disability as it seemed Helen’s parents were below the surface. All we can do is face our obstacles head-on with our heads held high and find a way to overcome those obstacles in the best and most effective way possible.
Thanks for reading..
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