Helen Keller Statue To Be Displayed In U.S. Capitol

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) - A bronze likeness of Helen Keller at age 7 will be unveiled in the U.S. Capitol complex on Oct. 7 to honor the Tuscumbia native and trailblazer for the disabled.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California told a Wednesday
meeting of the American Association of Americans with Disabilities
that the statue "will be a proud addition to our halls." The
statue will be in the sky-lit main hall of the new Capitol Visitors
Center.

Each state can memorialize two of its most significant citizens
at the Capitol in marble or bronze. For decades the selections were
irreversible. That meant very few women, minorities or recent
figures were represented. Congress changed that law in 2002,
leaving states free to swap out statues.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)