52Belladvised the couple to contact the PerkinsInstitute for the Blind. Theschool delegated teacherand former student, AnneSullivan, herself visually impaired and then only 20 years old,to become Helen's teacher. 53
Sullivangot permission from Helen's father to isolate the girl from the restof the family in a little house in their garden. 54 Helen'sbig breakthrough in communication came one day when she realized thatthe motions her teacher was making on her palm, while running coolwater over her palm from a pump, symbolized the idea of "water".55 In 1890, ten-year-old Helen Keller was introduced to the story ofRagnhild Kåta---a deafblind Norwegian girl who had learned to speak. RagnhildKåta's success inspired Helen — she wanted to learn to speak aswell. [!--empirenews.page--]Later,Keller would also learn to read English, French, German, Greek, andLatin in Braille.
A]Heput her in touch with local expert AlexanderGraham Bell, who was working
withdeaf children at the time.
B]Shethen nearly exhausted Sullivan demanding the names of all the otherfamiliar
objectsin her world.
C]Herfirst task was to instill disciplinein the spoiled girl.
D]Theillness did not last for a long time, but it left her deaf and blind.
E]Itwas the beginning of a 49-year-long relationship.