Kattie Iwanski - Hellen Keller

 In 1882, at just 19 months old Hellen Keller was infected with “brain fever” which caused Keller to contract a high fever resulting in her losing her sight and hearing (Donovan, 2021). Hellen learned to communicate utilizing multiple methods including fingerspelling, sign language, and braille which allowed her to be less isolated from the rest of humanity. In addition to these approaches, she also participated using tadoma which is the technique where the deaf would place their hand upon the face and throat of their company in order to feel specific facial motions (Reed et al., 1985). The factors which enable deaf and blind individuals to engage in these kinds of conversations include  “lip movement, jaw movement, oral airflow, and laryngeal vibration” but some confusion does occur due to the tongue position (Reed et al., 1985). Without these kinds of communication capabilities, the separation between humans and all other species would dwindle. Humankind has surpassed every other species because of our advancements in technology including knives, shoes, and even the formation of language. Therefore, language is a barrier that divides human and non-human species which places an obstacle in between us and the natural benefits of the environment.