In the present thesis my aim is to gather and represent the existing data concerning language acquisition of sighted and sightless children, as well as to support my position with the findings of my own research in connection with preverbal communication, speech perception and speech production of sightless infants. I shall discuss the differences and similarities of language acquisition methods, lexical development, furthermore, I shall highlight the alternative ways of vocabulary growth. Hypotheses tested are: 1) sightless infants follow a different path of first language acquisition during preverbal communication; 2) sightless children without any additional impairment operate with the same lexical items as their sighted peers by the age of about two; 3) direct experience through the remaining senses contributes to the acquisition of referential meaning and the formation of vocabulary content.