Blindness and Deaf-mutism

congenital or early childhood blindness, deafness, and mutism. (The mutism is caused by the absence of hearing.) If blindness and deafness are congenital, they manifest themselves in the prelingual period. Without special training afflicted children do not develop intellectually and do not develop the elementary skills required to care for themselves. Blind deaf-mutes can communicate with others by means of dactylology (sign language). They can be communicated with by using teletactors, which are oscillating devices.

In the USSR there is an institution in the city of Zagorsk where essential knowledge and work skills are taught to blind deaf-mutes. Internationally known blind deaf-mutes have included Helen Keller, who received a Ph.D. in the early 20th century, and O. I. Skorokhodova, a Soviet psychologist and writer.