In the late 1800s to early 1900s, a group of skilled workers processed astronomical data. They were all women. Not allowed to operate telescopes, these women instead acted as human computers, operating under Edward Charles Pickering for the Harvard Observatory. It is here that Annie Jump Cannon and Henrietta Swan Leavitt would change the face of science.
Computer “Stars”
Annie Jump Cannon & Henrietta Swan Leavitt
Cannon’s mother had been the first to teach her about the stars, and astronomy would later help her cope with her mother’s death. She had contracted scarlet fever as an adult, leaving her nearly deaf. Despite this, she was hired by Pickering to classify stars in the southern hemisphere after graduating Wellesley College. Leavitt studied math and the classics, traveled and taught before being hired by Pickering to measure star brightness through photometry. She, too, was nearly deaf.
Cannon and Leavitt proved that women were more than up to the task of critical detail this work required. Leavitt was known for being “hard-working, serious-minded…, little given to frivolous pursuits and selflessly devoted to her family, her church, and her career” and Pickering himself was quoted as saying “Miss Cannon is the only person in the world—man or woman—who can do this work so quickly.”
Changing History
Interestingly, it’s this very dedication to work that makes it unclear whether these women were friends or simply colleagues. Cannon received more recognition than Leavitt, whose work was often credited to Pickering. Cannon, on the other hand, was the first woman to receive an honorary doctorate from Oxford and become an officer in the American Astronomical Society.
While they may not have purposely worked together to bring change to their field, each woman’s individual impact showed that women were more than serious-minded enough for the rigorous field of science. Cannon became the first female assistant to study variable stars at night, using “light curve” and color to help classify and identify stars more easily. She developed the Harvard Classification Scheme, which would become the new standard of star classification. Leavitt found hundreds of new variable stars and discovered that some stars have the same intrinsic brightness (no matter their distance from Earth). Leavitt also developed, and continued to refine, the Harvard Standard for photographic measurements.
Women like this continue to inspire women and people with disabilities. Cannon and Leavitt looked to the stars, and in so doing, they set their sights on a better future for all of us.
Nowhere is the question of equality among the sexes most argued, perhaps, than in the realm of physical activity. For millennia, women were considered unsuitable to strenuous activity. This included sports or anything of an outdoors nature. Of course, this distinction was only applicable to aristocratic women, as the lower classes did not have such luxuries. Women could often be found in the fields, sweatshops, and factories throughout history. The achievements of “the fairer sex” cannot be thoroughly understood without seeing how women have pushed their physical boundaries to prove that they can do anything men can do.
Gertrude Ederle – Swimmer & Olympic Champion
“When somebody tells me I cannot do something, that’s when I do it.”
~ Gertrude Ederle
This daughter of German immigrants learned to swim at a tiny indoor Manhattan pool. As a member of the Women’s Swimming Association, she was able to compete and take advantage of new advances in swimming techniques, giving her more of an edge.
At the 1924 Summer Olympics, Ederle won the gold as a member of the U.S. 4×100 meter freestyle relay swim team, and set a new world record in the event. This launched her career, and she continued to break records along the way. In 1926, she set a record for swimming the English Channel that would stand for almost 25 years.
Despite hearing loss contracted when she was a small child with measles, Gertrude Ederle showed the world that you didn’t have to be a man to compete.
Juliette Gordon Low – Founder of the Girls Scouts
“The work of today is the history of tomorrow and we are its makers.”
~ Juliette Gordon Low
Juliette Gordon Low was born to a cotton broker and writer in Savannah, Georgia in 1860. She was educated and had many hobbies. It was expected that the highest ambition of young women of her time and station should be to marry, perhaps more so for Low, as she began losing her hearing at 17 years of age. However, it would only be after becoming a widow that she would be able to realize her true ambitions.
While traveling, taking classes, and doing charity work in London, Low met Sir Robert Baden-Powell, the creator of the Boy Scouts. She was impressed with his philosophy of military preparedness mixed with fun. She became involved with an all-girls off-shoot of the organization called the Girl Guides. As a leader, she encouraged the teaching of self-sufficiency for girls, and organized lessons in wool-spinning, livestock care, knot-tying, knitting, first aid, and camping, to name a few.
She took this newfound purpose with her to America in 1912 and founded the American Girl Guides, later to become the Girl Scouts of America. Today, this organization encourages girls from all walks of life to become intelligent, well-rounded women who are as capable as any man, and encouraged to be their very best.
These two women broke boundaries. One tested the limits of what a woman can do and pushed society to see women as equals in sports. The other looked to a future where the equality of women and men should never be in question. They did it without hearing. They are heroes.
One can’t speak of achievement among deaf and hard-of-hearing women without talking about Helen Keller. Her story’s popularity made her an icon like no one before her. As someone with three disabilities, she not only served as an example of what one can accomplish as a woman but also what the human spirit can do in the face of challenge.
“Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.”
~ Helen Keller
A Difficult Education
Keller is most famous for her work with Anne Sullivan, a teacher from a prestigious school for people with blindness. Their relationship and story would be dramatized in The Miracle Worker, originally authored by Keller as The Story of My Life. The story detailed her struggle to communicate despite being blind, deaf, and non-vocal, and how she and Anne worked together. It is generally praised for its depiction of the perseverance of the human spirit.
Keller eventually learned speech and attended Radcliffe College, where she graduated cum laude in 1904 at the age of 24. By this time, she had learned several forms of communication, including sign language, braille, and touch-lip reading. Sullivan remained her companion.
Helen Keller: Social Activist
Helen’s struggles motivated her to become a staunch advocate for others with disabilities. She also advocated for women’s suffrage, birth control, and pacifism, sometimes testifying in front of Congress. She was a key person in the founding of many groups and associations, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in 1920 and Helen Keller International. Keller even became an ambassador to advocate for the blind, taking on a 40,000-mile trek across Asia to give speeches and spread education.
Today, because of the efforts of Helen Keller, people of varying levels of deafness and blindness are able to lead more fulfilling lives with access to better services and education. Helen Keller was the first to prove that having a disability didn’t mean you couldn’t be a healthy, functioning member of society. Indeed, she proved that it was not the people with disabilities that needed fixing so much as the society that believed them broken. Her impact cannot be over overstated. She remains an inspiration to all of mankind.
Because of women before us like Helen Keller, as a women-owned audiology and hearing aid practice in Austin, TX, we have the opportunity to serve our community with their hearing health needs.
History is full of the unsung achievement of women. Women helped build this country, fought alongside men in wars and social movements, and created some of the most beautiful art of all time, often without credit for their work. The story of women has often been one of silence.
“Anon, who wrote so many poems without signing them, was often a woman.”
~ Virginia Woolf
A Condensed Timeline of Women’s Achievement
1792 – Mary Wollstonecraft publishes A Vindication of the Rights of Women, often credited as the first feminist philosophy.
1851 – Two former slaves upset the institution of slavery. Sojourner Truth’s speech “Ain’t I a Woman?” spurs the anti-slavery movement. Around this time, Harriet Tubman begins a smuggling operation that would result in over 300 freed slaves.
1869 – Susan B. Anthony joins Elizabeth Cady Stanton in forming the National Woman Suffrage Association, which leads to women’s right to vote over 70 years later.
1971 – Gloria Steinem, Bella Abzug, and Betty Friedan begin the National Women’s Political Caucus, giving voice to women across the United States. Steinem would later start Ms. magazine to further discussion on women’s issues.
1981 – Sandra Day O’Connor becomes the first woman appointed to the United States Supreme Court. She serves 25 years.
1983 – Sally Ride becomes the first woman in space.
2006 – Tarana Burke begins the #MeToo movement to encourage women to speak out about sexual assault, resulting in several lawsuits and prosecutions, particularly in entertainment and political arenas.
The Silent Struggle
While those women struggled for the rights of freedom, opinion, and choice, deaf and hard-of-hearing women struggled right alongside them. These women proved that while their ears didn’t function the way everyone else’s did, they weren’t broken – and they pushed to break the barriers of hearing loss.
They became symbols of reform and icons for the continuing disability rights movement. Indeed, the greatest challenge for these women was often not physical so much as societal. Like all women, they struggled to be seen and heard as valid members of society.
So join us this month as we celebrate some of the achievements of deaf and hard-of-hearing women. We will highlight just a few of those courageous and persistent women who have helped us on the course to becoming a more accepting and enlightened society.
If you have an active lifestyle and have been searching for a discreet hearing technology option, Lyric hearing will be music to your ears.
We work with a wide range of hearing technology at RK and want to highlight options that meet particular needs for our clients. Lyric is a good fit for those searching for an invisible solution for hearing loss.
These devices are 100% invisible because they are placed in your ear canal by your audiologist. In addition to the aesthetic value, you will not have to worry about daily insertion and removal or changing the battery. Once seated, the device is so comfortable, you’re likely to forget you have it in. Furthermore, Lyric is easily controlled with the SoundLync™ tool, making it even more convenient.
The best part – Lyric supports your active lifestyle. You can still use headphones and wear this device while sleeping. It’s even water resistant, so you can hit the gym and take a shower. This device works for you 24/7 with no maintenance…and no one will ever know.
The winter holidays are here! The year is almost over and it’s been a great one with our new blog. It’s time to review what we’ve learned, and make sure we’re ready for the new year. Let’s look at how you can stay connected for the holidays.
It’s always a good time to get your ears checked
We started the new year with one of the most important resolutions you can make: evaluating your hearing. Didn’t make time to take care of that? That’s okay. There is still time to check this off your list. Click here to find a convenient day/time to have your hearing checked.
Hearing in Noise options can help you…with and without hearing loss
The options for enhancing the hearing experience are astounding. Modern technology has created some amazingly intuitive gadgets, from in-ear hearables that completely block noise or translate over 15 languages, to personal sound amplification products (PSAPs) and hearing devices that provide intuitive, connected assistance for those with or without hearing loss. These days, the sky’s the limit.
Music is fun and healthy…when you do it right
Listening to music is fun! Did you know it’s also healthy? Several studies have shown music to be helpful in the cognitive functions of the brain, as well as improving mood and reducing mental health issues. In addition, music boosts our immune system, helping us fight disease and decrease pain. Music is all around us, and when we listen with protective devices, we can reap the benefits.
Nutrition helps hearing health
Between Omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidant vitamins, it’s hard to say which is better for your hearing. Still, this much is known: good nutrition isn’t just good for overall health; it’s especially good for hearing health. Keeping a balanced diet that focuses on ear-healthy foods can help reduce and even prevent the risk of hearing loss.
How to stay on top of hearing health
Did you know that you are the one who can best make sure you stay hearing-healthy? Here are some tips to help you along:
Get your ears professionally cleaned. Avoid using cotton swabs, and other pointed objects, and never, ever use ear candles.
Make sure your hearing aids are tuned and checked. Your audiologist can evaluate your devices and let you know if they are functioning properly, need to be updated, or should be replaced altogether.
Check for updates to technology or software. Old tech can cause more harm than good. Staying up-to-date ensures you have accurate, properly functioning devices.
Switch to rechargeable batteries. These save on cost and the environment, and they don’t run out, meaning you don’t have to worry about inconvenient lapses in function.
Found some interesting new hearing technology online or in a magazine? Check with your audiologist. They can best evaluate if the new tech will work well for your needs.
Contact RK Audiology today to get a consultation. Keeping your hearing checked – and in check – is the best present you can give yourself for the holidays. Don’t miss a single “Fa, la, la.”
