How did Charles Dickens help spread awareness of Laura Bridgman’s education?

In January 1842, during his first visit to the United States, the novelist Charles Dickens met 12-year-old Laura Bridgman at the New-England Institution for the Education of the Blind.12

Following this encounter, Dickens helped spread awareness of her education by dedicating a chapter of his 1842 work, American Notes, to her story. In this account, he detailed her gregarious personality, her formal education, and her mastery of finger language skills. This publication significantly elevated her public profile, leading to a period where her written letters and autographs became highly sought-after items throughout the English-speaking world.12