In 1955, the Harold Hathaways of Stow, Ohio, won custody of their son, Clarence, after persuading a court that they could provide adequate care for him despite their both being blind and deaf. By 1957 the 2-year-old had learned to serve as his parents' eyes and ears, and they in turn had convinced health authorities, who continued to visit them weekly, that they were able to raise the child properly.

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