Jacob W. Bolotin (January 3, 1888 – April 1, 1924) was the world's first totally blind physician. Born in 1888 to a poor immigrant family in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, United States, Bolotin fought prejudice and misconceptions about the capabilities of blind people in order to win acceptance to medical school and then into the medical profession. He fought his way into and through the

Chicago Medical School The Chicago Medical School (CMS) is a private medical school of Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in North Chicago, Illinois. It was founded in 1912 and obtained approval from the American Medical Association in 1948. Histo ...

, graduated with honors at 24, and became the world's first totally blind physician fully licensed to practice medicine. He was particularly recognized for his expertise on diseases of the heart and lungs. Bolotin used his many public speaking engagements to advocate for the employment of the blind and their full integration into society. After he died at the young age of 36, his funeral was attended by 5,000 people.

Legacy

In 2007, a biography of Botolin, ''The Blind Doctor: The Jacob Bolotin Story'' by author Rosalind Perlman was published. In 2008, Perlman designated the

National Federation of the Blind The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) is an organization of blind people in the United States. It is the oldest and largest organization led by blind people in that country. Its national headquarters are in Baltimore, Maryland. Overview An ...

to present the Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award given to innovating individuals working in the field of blindness.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bolotin, Jacob 1888 births 1924 deaths American blind people Physicians from Chicago 20th-century American physicians Physicians with disabilities American scientists with disabilities