Broadway actor Marilee Talkington to receive Helen Keller Award

Feb. 20 (UPI) -- Camelot actor Marilee Talkington will be one of the recipients of the 2024 Helen Keller Achievement Award by the American Foundation for the Blind.

"An acclaimed actor and activist for performers with disabilities, AFB recognizes Talkington for her continued contribution to breaking down barriers for people with disabilities in the performing arts," the AFB said in a press release.

According to the AFB, Talkington was "the first self-identifying legally blind actress cast in a principal role on Broadway."

Past recipients of the award, which started in 1994, have included Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles.

AFB will award Talkington at an April ceremony in Los Angeles.

"Throughout her twenty-five-year career in the performing arts, Marilee has broken down the misconceptions too often placed upon individuals with disabilities," said AFB President Eric Bridges. "By taking on over 100 individual roles, her success on stage and screen has bridged the inclusion gap for performers with disabilities."

The Helen Keller Achievement Award recognizes performing artists, thought leaders and others who advance disability-rights advocate Helen Keller's goal of creating more equality for people with disabilities.

Keller was AFB's main ambassador for more than 40 years.

The American Foundation for the Blind was created in in 1921 and advocates for equal opportunities for people who are blind or suffer from diminished vision.