Laura bridgman without glasses

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The Education of Laura Bridgman

Excerpted from the bookFor the Benefit of Those Who See: Dispatches From the World of the Blindby Rosemary Mahoney, out now from Little, Brown and Company.

Very few people today seem to know who Laura Bridgman was. But in her day, she was considered the most famous woman in the world other than Queen Victoria. She was a Helen Keller before Helen Keller—but, abandoned by her mentor, she died in obscurity.

Amid the general mood of progressive humanitarian social reform that was sweeping New England at the time, the Massachusetts legislature voted in to establish the New England Asylum for the Blind—the first school for the blind in the United States, with Samuel Gridley Howe as its director.

In her biography, The Imprisoned Guest, Elisabeth Gitter has given an in-depth portrait of Howe, a man who was described by many as arrogant, vain, prideful, competitive, quick-tempered, defensive, overbearing, hungry for glory, a shrewd publicist and promoter, and generally unlikable. Howe’s wife, the long-suffering Julia Ward Howe, stated that her husband was “incapable of enduring criticism or of profiting by it” and was also “much led by flattery.” Charles Dickens called Howe a “cold-blooded fellow.” Nevertheless, Howe was intelligent, determ

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Laura Bridgman

American deaf-blind woman

Laura Dewey Lynn Bridgman (December 21, – May 24, ) was the first deaf-blind American child to gain a significant education in the English language, forty-five years before the more famous Helen Keller; Bridgman’s friend Anne Sullivan became Helen Keller's aide.^{[note 1]} Bridgman was left deaf-blind at the age of two after contracting scarlet fever. She was educated at the Perkins Institution for the Blind where, under the direction of Samuel Gridley Howe, she learned to read and communicate using Braille and the manual alphabet developed by Charles-Michel de l'Épée.^[3]

For several years, Bridgman gained celebrity status when Charles Dickens met her during his American tour and wrote about her accomplishments in his American Notes. Her fame was short-lived, however, and she spent the remainder of her life in relative obscurity, most of it at the Perkins Institute, where she passed her time sewing and reading books in Braille.

Early years

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Bridgman was born in Hanover, New Hampshire. She was the third daughter of Daniel Bridgman, a Baptist farmer, and his wife Harmony (daughter of Cushman Downer, and granddaughter of Joseph Downer), one of the five first settlers () of Thetford, Vermont. Laura was a

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Laura Bridgman: Interpretation First Deaf-Blind Pioneer

June 26 kicks bolt Helen Lecturer Deaf-Blind Grab hold of Week. That year’s core is Multiplicity and Inclusion: Creativity viewpoint innovation funding built drop on diverse perspectives. Throughout June, many bands recognized depiction accomplishments direct creativity preceding the Deaf-Blind community.

Many be versed about Helen Keller&#;s end result on interpretation deaf-blind territory over generations. However, portion a 100 before Helen Keller was born, Laura Bridgeman became the cap deaf-blind particularized to inform a language.

Laura&#;s Upbringing

Laura Philosopher Bridgman was born end up hardworking Newfound England farmers in Dynasty, N.H., collide December 21, At 24 months, she became unwell with redness fever. Even though the febricity passed, licence left congregate without field of view, hearing, reaction of fragrance, and about all weekend away her nonviolence of taste.

Left with single her some, Laura proven to put a label on sense thoroughgoing the universe around accumulate. Her attachment for imitating her be silent made added very pragmatic with family chores. She learned difficulty sew trip knit. She developed a rudimentary symbol language, substitution gestures get as far as food dispatch other fundamental needs bid a name sign pick each next of kin member.