Retinal Realities Podcast | Episode 36 | June 2026

On 27 June, the world marks Helen Keller Day — a day to honour one of history’s most remarkable figures and to reflect on what her life and legacy mean for people living with visual impairment today. In this special episode of Retinal Realities, host Karen Denton sat down with Bev Richardson of the Helen Keller Society of South Africa, with an inspiring introduction from Retina South Africa CEO Manny Moodley.

Together, they explored the extraordinary life of Helen Keller, the Society’s work in Cape Town, and the very real challenges still facing people with visual impairment and deafblindness in South Africa today.

Who Was Helen Keller?

Born on 27 June 1880 in Alabama, USA, Helen Keller became deafblind at just 19 months old after contracting scarlet fever followed by viral meningitis. What followed was a life that defied every expectation.

Despite the enormity of her challenges, Helen went on to learn to communicate, graduated from Radcliffe College at Harvard University — becoming the first deafblind person ever to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude — and spent her life as a celebrated author, public speaker, and global advocate for the rights of women and people with disabilities.

She read and wrote in five languages using Braille (English, French, German, Greek, and Latin), received seven honorary degrees, and co-founded Helen Keller International, an organisation that continues to fight the causes and consequences of blindness and malnutrition worldwide.

The Teacher Behind the Triumph: Anne Sullivan

No account of Helen Keller’s life is complete without acknowledging her teacher, Anne Sullivan. Sight-impaired herself and educated at the Perkins Institute for the Blind, Anne was just 21 years old when she entered seven-year-old Helen’s world — a world Bev Richardson described as “a dark and soundless place with little hope.”

Through patience, deep empathy, and innovative teaching, Anne taught Helen tactile sign language, Braille, and even how to speak — by placing Helen’s hand on her face so she could feel the vibrations of vocal cords, lip movements, and airflow. Helen’s first spoken word with meaning was “water.”

“Her life demonstrates that disability does not need to limit a person’s potential.” — Bev Richardson

Helen Keller’s Connection to South Africa

Helen Keller’s connection to South Africa is perhaps lesser known, but deeply significant. During her visit to Cape Town in 1951, she advocated at the City Hall for funding to build a hostel for blind working women. That commitment was honoured: the foundation stone was laid in 1957, and the Helen Keller Hostel opened in 1958 on the very site where the Helen Keller Society stands today.

She was also awarded an honorary degree from the University of the Witwatersrand — a mark of the respect and recognition she commanded globally.

About the Helen Keller Society of South Africa

Based in Pinelands, Cape Town, the Helen Keller Society is a not-for-profit organisation providing inclusive retirement accommodation for approximately 120 residents, with preference given to those with sight loss — around 60% of residents are visually impaired.

Alongside the residential facility, the Society runs a vital low vision service, staffed by two occupational therapists and a social worker. Services include:

• Functional assessments and personalised solutions for living with low vision
• A well-stocked resource centre with glare glasses, magnifiers, and assistive devices
• Free-of-charge assessments, with funding available for those who cannot afford devices
• Monthly low vision support groups around the Cape Peninsula, reaching around 150 people per month
• A low vision service to local schools for the blind
• Referrals from Groote Schuur, Tygerberg, Eastern River, and Red Cross Children’s hospitals, as well as private ophthalmologists and optometrists

The Challenges That Remain

While Helen Keller’s legacy is one of triumph, Bev Richardson was candid about the very real barriers still facing people with visual impairment and deafblindness in South Africa today:

• Unequal access to education
• Prohibitive cost of assistive technology
• Limited access to information
• Few employment opportunities
• Unsafe and inaccessible public transport
• Inadequate access to healthcare

These are not small inconveniences — they are systemic barriers that compound the daily experience of living with a disability. It is a reminder that celebrating Helen Keller’s legacy must go hand in hand with continuing the work she stood for.

How You Can Support the Helen Keller Society

If you’d like to support the Society’s work, there are two meaningful ways to get involved:

Volunteer: Help at the annual fete — the Society’s main fundraiser for the low vision department — or at the retirement home.

Donate: Financial donations earmarked for the low vision service go directly towards sponsoring assistive devices for people who cannot afford them — not towards running costs.

Visit the Helen Keller Society’s low vision service page to find out more: helenkeller.org.za/low-vision-service

Together We Can Do So Much

As Manny Moodley reflected in his introduction to this episode, Helen Keller’s words — “Alone we can do so little, but together we can do so much” — capture the spirit of everything Retina South Africa stands for. Her legacy lives on not just in history books, but in the daily work of organisations like the Helen Keller Society, who show up every day for people living with sight loss.

On this Helen Keller Day, we are proud to share her story, and to stand alongside all those working to build a more inclusive South Africa.

Listen to Episode 36 of Retinal Realities

Episode 36 is available on our YouTube Channel. Please subscribe to keep up with all our episodes, and share with anyone who might benefit.

A heartfelt thank you to Roche Products for their ongoing support of the Retinal Realities podcast.