Olga Skorokhodova

A Soviet neuropsychologist who became a leading researcher in deaf-blind communication despite losing her sight and hearing at age 14.

Olga Skorokhodova (1911–1982) defied unimaginable odds to reshape Soviet psychology and pedagogy for sensory-impaired individuals. After contracting meningitis in 1925, she lost her sight and hearing but mastered tactile sign language and Braille under mentor Ivan Sokolyansky.

Her 1947 autobiography How I Perceive the World provided unprecedented insights into non-visual cognition, detailing how she interpreted vibrations, smells, and textures. Skorokhodova later conducted groundbreaking experiments at the USSR’s Institute of Defectology, proving that deaf-blind individuals could achieve complex abstract thought through tailored education.

She developed innovative teaching methods still used in Russia today, enabling students to earn university degrees. Skorokhodova’s work challenged eugenics-era prejudices, demonstrating that disability need not limit intellectual potential.