About this episode
This episode tells the story of Mary Gillespie, who became deaf-blind and now volunteers at the Braille Institute in Los Angeles.
We hear the story of Mary Gillespie, a woman born with normal hearing and vision, but who developed several illnesses starting at age ten. Gradually, she became deaf-blind. Now living in Los Angeles, Mary is a regular volunteer at the Braille Institute, where we recorded this remarkable episode of Humankind. To see additional resources and our other programs, please visit humanmedia.org . Humankind specials are heard on NPR and PRX member-stations, in association with GBH Boston.
People in this episode
Host: David Freudberg
Guest: Mary Gillespie
Topics covered
- deaf-blindness
- volunteering
- personal story
- disability
- health challenges
Keywords
- deaf-blind
- Mary Gillespie
- Braille Institute
- volunteering
- health issues
- personal journey
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Braille Institute, Humankind, NPR, PRX, GBH Boston
Places: Los Angeles
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- Aging in Community, Pt3 · May 14, 2026 · 29 min
- Ahead of His Time: The Story of Charles Sumner, Pt1 · May 11, 2026 · 27 min
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