Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
What was Helen Keller like? The deaf-blind hero, best known as a pioneer for disability rights as chronicled in "The Miracle Worker," achieved many things in her life: She was the first deaf-blind woman to graduate from college, was a Goodwill Ambassador for peace after World War II, a labor rights advocate, a suffragist, and much more.
“She was very much just like all of us too,” says Tony Stephens of the American Foundation for the Blind. “She loved to take long walks on Coney Island on the boardwalk with her best friend and teacher Ann and later Polly and loved a good hot dog... Coney Island dog down on the boardwalk. And, you know, she was like all of us, right? She had her ups and her downs and her challenges and her sad days and her happy days. And and so I think that’s the thing that impresses me the most is just how significant she was on the world stage [when] at the same time, she wasn’t that much different than you and I.”
Stephens and the AFB are producers for "Possibilities," a new documentary celebrating the legacy of Keller. It's the first feature-length film created by blind and low-vision filmmakers and the first to fully integrate open audio description.
For more information about the movie and streaming options, visit afb.org/possibilities
“Enable: The Disability Podcast,” which highlights amazing people with disabilities and different abilities, releases new episodes weekly on YouTube and all major podcast platforms. Follow facebook.com/enablepodcast or @enablepodcast on Instagram and TikTok for more.
Note: Views expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views of Advance Local.
What was Helen Keller like? The deaf-blind hero, best known as a pioneer for disability rights as chronicled in "The Miracle Worker," achieved many things in her life: She was the first deaf-blind woman to graduate from college, was a Goodwill Ambassador for peace after World War II, a labor rights advocate, a suffragist, and much more.
“She was very much just like all of us too,” says Tony Stephens of the American Foundation for the Blind. “She loved to take long walks on Coney Island on the boardwalk with her best friend and teacher Ann and later Polly and loved a good hot dog... Coney Island dog down on the boardwalk. And, you know, she was like all of us, right? She had her ups and her downs and her challenges and her sad days and her happy days. And and so I think that’s the thing that impresses me the most is just how significant she was on the world stage [when] at the same time, she wasn’t that much different than you and I.”
Stephens and the AFB are producers for "Possibilities," a new documentary celebrating the legacy of Keller. It's the first feature-length film created by blind and low-vision filmmakers and the first to fully integrate open audio description.
For more information about the movie and streaming options, visit afb.org/possibilities
“Enable: The Disability Podcast,” which highlights amazing people with disabilities and different abilities, releases new episodes weekly on YouTube and all major podcast platforms. Follow facebook.com/enablepodcast or @enablepodcast on Instagram and TikTok for more.
Note: Views expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views of Advance Local.
