Deaf and blind from infancy, Helen Keller (1880–1968) prevailed over seemingly insurmountable obstacles. She spoke not only for herself and others with physical disabilities but also for an array of progressive causes, including women's suffrage, pacificism, and socialism. Keller received an honorary degree from Harvard, the first ever granted to a woman, that proclaimed, "From a still, dark world she has brought us light and sound; our lives are richer for her faith and her example."