Working with the American Foundation for the Blind and Hudson Archival, Veridian software has helped to make the Helen Keller Archive accessible to the world.

This remarkable collection is the largest repository of materials about and by Helen Keller, the deaf and blind American author and political activist. Spanning more than 80 years (1880–1968), it includes correspondence, speeches, press clippings, scrapbooks, photographs, audio recordings, and more.

Unfortunately, most websites remain inaccessible to people with vision or hearing impairments. That’s why arriving at the Helen Keller Archive is such a powerful experience. Here, (deaf)blind users of the internet can independently navigate the collection using its extensive accessibility features: text zoom, color conversion, keyboard commands, and braille compatibility. While these functions are still rare on today’s web, what makes this archive even more inspiring is its ability to translate visual information directly into verbal or textual equivalents. Visitors don’t need to rely on a personal reader or interpreter—they can access the materials directly.

This is possible thanks to transcriptions, which users can choose to read visually, listen to as synthetic speech, or experience through a refreshable braille display. Even handwritten documents, which computers struggle to decipher, are being transcribed by dedicated volunteers trained by the American Foundation for the Blind. These efforts ensure that no part of Helen Keller’s legacy is locked away from those who wish to explore it.