The internet is a wealth of information, both true and false. With so many claims, it can be difficult to distinguish fact from fiction. While Pizzagate and 9/11 conspiracists have proved the grim reality of the repercussions of such falsehoods, several are flying under the radar. Or, in this case, denying the fact that certain individuals ever existed. Some creators on TikTok and Reddit are promoting doubt of the existence of Helen Keller.
It is important to note that none of Gen-Z’s discourse denies that Helen Keller was disabled, but doubts her accomplishments as a disabled person. After losing her hearing and sight at just 19 months old as a byproduct of illness, Keller learned to communicate through touch-based methods. She went on to become the first person who was deaf and blind to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. Helen Keller was an activist who spoke out for marginalized groups, wrote multiple books and accomplished many feats that were previously thought to be insurmountable. The disrespect of her accomplishes nothing.
At the heart of the Helen Keller conspiracy lies a very real problem, ableism: discrimination and prejudice against people with disabilities based on the assumption that “typical” abilities (such as seeing, hearing, walking or communicating verbally) are superior. At its core, ableism defines people by their disability.
The entire theory that Keller’s accomplishments are fabricated is blatantly ableist — an example of the prejudices that people with disabilities, especially those with invisible disabilities, people who “do not look disabled,” experience daily. Humans can achieve extraordinary feats. To name a few, Jean-Dominique Bauby wrote “The Diving Bell and The Butterfly” with locked-in syndrome by blinking his left eyelid. Donna Williams overcame abuse to produce her 1992 memoir “Nobody Nowhere: The Extraordinary Autobiography of an Autistic.”
These examples demonstrate that disability does not equate to inability. Yet, the Helen Keller conspiracy persists because it feeds into deeply entrenched ableist assumptions regarding what people with disabilities are and are not capable of. Theorists and deniers posit that someone who was both deaf and blind could not have possibly learned to communicate, let alone operate within the world. This assumption exposes a fundamental misunderstanding of both capability and the very nature of disability.
Conversations regarding ableism are crucial, as they highlight the way social media spreads misinformation to the point where anyone can claim someone is not real. What begins as a “harmless” meme can snowball into widespread doubts about historical facts. Helen Keller deniers demonstrate how algorithms on social media platforms value engagement over accuracy, allowing blatantly false theories to reach millions of impressionable people who may lack context to critically evaluate claims.
In promoting the idea that Helen Keller did not exist, deniers are removing her accomplishments as a woman with a disability. Though her circumstances may have been a byproduct of privilege — she came from a well-positioned Southern family that could afford private education and services — the idea that she did not exist or that her achievements were falsified erases the struggles she overcame and the doors she opened for others.
While exceptional, Keller’s story is not unique in its demonstration of human resilience and adaptability. What makes this story important is how it challenged early 20th-century social perceptions of disability. In denying her existence, conspiracy theorists are reinforcing the exact same prejudices that Keller spent her life resisting. As Renee Caisse, an opinion writer for the Oakmonitor, puts it, “Helen Keller is no saint, but to dismiss her efforts at living a life with deafblindness, is and by definition, ableism.”
The Helen Keller conspiracy theory acts as a cautionary tale about the intersection of social media, misinformation and ableism. It reminds us that awareness of the content we consume is paramount, particularly when it reinforces harmful stereotypes about marginalized groups. More importantly, it emphasizes the need for disability education and representation. Rather than question whether Helen Keller’s accomplishments existed, we should be asking ourselves why her story seems unbelievable to some. The answer rests in our own ableist assumptions regarding what people with disabilities can achieve.