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Christian Record Services for the Blind (Christian Record Services, Inc., CRSB) is a non-profit organization that serves people who are legally blind and visually impaired. [1] [2] "Christian Record Services for the Blind is an international organization serving blind and visually impaired individuals in approximately 70 countries worldwide and employs about 15 people." [2] [3] It is a ministry of the Seventh-day Adventist Church but services blind people regardless of beliefs. [4]
Christian Record Services for the Blind (Christian Record Services, Inc., CRSB) was founded in 1899 by Austin Orlando Wilson. [5] Wilson, who was blinded by a tragic accident earlier in life, was disappointed that there was not more material available for the blind and undertook making material of his own. The first 75 issues of the Christian Record were produced using a washing machine hand wringer for a printing press. [5]
In 1900, a yearly subscription to Christian Record cost $1.50. [6] This fee was eliminated in 1912 [6] and Christian Record, along with a host of other publications, is now provided free of charge.
December 30, 1902, the Christian Record headquarters in Battle Creek, Michigan, was burned to the ground. Fortunately, there were no casualties. However, an estimated $300,000 in damages were incurred by the organization and the section housing its equipment and supplies. [6]
Christian Record Services for the Blind moved to a temporary location provided by one of its sister institutions, Union College (Nebraska) in 1904. [6] Christian Record had several temporary locations from 1904 to 1912. May 28, 1912, the organization purchased a building across the street from Union College (Nebraska) for $2,700. This would be Christian Record's headquarters until 1936 when they would move their headquarters to South 48th and Bancroft streets in Lincoln. [6]
In 1933–34, CRSB had an exhibit at the World's Fair in Chicago, Illinois.
June 24–28, 1963, Christian Record's workers moved into their spacious new headquarters at 52nd and Linden streets. The new headquarters boasted 27,800 in square footage and cost an estimated $387,000. At the open house on October 7, then Nebraska state governor Frank B. Morrison gave the opening remarks. Also in attendance were Robert S. Bray, Chief of the Division for the Blind, Library of Congress, and former Nebraska Senator, Carl T. Curtis. [6]
In 1967, CRSB opened the first-ever summer camp for the blind at Kulaqua in High Springs, Florida at Kulaqua Retreat and Conference Center with 23 youth. [5] [7] Over 48,000 individuals have attended CRSB's blind camps across North America since their inception. [5] [8]
March 26, 1969, former first lady Patricia Nixon accepted an invitation by former Nebraska senator Carl T. Curtis to join Christian Record's advisory board. [9]
In 1970, Christian Record started putting its books onto audio cassette tapes.
September 2010, Christian Record was awarded the Lincoln Nebraska Integrity Award [10] by the Better Business Bureau.
July 2011, the organization started releasing its audiobooks on cartridges specially designed by the National Library Service for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
In 2013, Christian Record hosted the first-annual EYE RUN, an eye health awareness event and fundraiser. In subsequent years, the EYE RUN expanded from a 5K run walk/run to add a one miler walk/run and a 10K run. Proceeds from the EYE RUN provide services and programs to clients of the organization. The event is held annually at Holmes Lake Park in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Beginning in 2014, audio cassettes were discontinued in favor of the new digital cartridges.
In 2016, the organization moved from its location in College View to suites at the Trade Center [11]
Beginning in 2017, Christian Record expanded its digital library holdings, giving clients better access to online and mobile reading materials.
Christian Record Services lending library contains more than 1,500 volumes in Braille and digital cartridges, free of charge for the blind and visually impaired. [12] [13]
Christian Record Services offers free large-print and Braille inspirational magazines. Among magazines offered are: Light (bi-monthly large-print magazine for adults, circulation 12,228), The Children's Friend (quarterly Braille magazine for children 9–12, circulation 1,116), The Student (weekly Bible lessons, circulation unknown), Amazing Facts Bible Correspondence Course (circulation unknown), and Christian Record. [14]
Full-vision books are books that both sighted children and blind parents can read or vice versa. Transparent plastic sheets with Braille dots printed on them accompany the large-print text. Sighted parents can teach their children to read, or sighted children can read the print while mom or dad reads the Braille portion of the page. [15]
Braille is a tactile writing system used by people who are visually impaired, including people who are blind, deafblind or who have low vision. It can be read either on embossed paper or by using refreshable braille displays that connect to computers and smartphone devices. Braille can be written using a slate and stylus, a braille writer, an electronic braille notetaker or with the use of a computer connected to a braille embosser.
Perkins School for the Blind, in Watertown, Massachusetts, was founded in 1829 and is the oldest school for the blind in the United States. It has also been known as the Perkins Institution for the Blind.
The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is a UK charity offering information, support and advice to almost two million people in the UK with sight loss.
The subject of blindness and education has included evolving approaches and public perceptions of how best to address the special needs of blind students. The practice of institutionalizing the blind in asylums has a history extending back over a thousand years, but it was not until the 18th century that authorities created schools for them where blind children, particularly those more privileged, were usually educated in such specialized settings. These institutions provided simple vocational and adaptive training, as well as grounding in academic subjects offered through alternative formats. Literature, for example, was being made available to blind students by way of embossed Roman letters.
A radio reading service or reading service for the blind is a public service of many universities, community groups and public radio stations, where a narrator reads books, newspapers and magazines aloud for the benefit of the blind and vision-impaired. It is most often carried on a subcarrier, with radio receivers permanently tuned to a given station in the area, or an HD Radio subchannel of the offering station. Some reading services use alternative methods for reaching their audiences, including broadcasting over SAP, streaming Internet radio, cable TV, or even terrestrial TV.
The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) is an American non-profit organization for people with vision loss. AFB's objectives include conducting research to advance change, promoting knowledge and understanding, and shaping policies and practices.
Visual impairment, also known as vision impairment, is a medical definition primarily measured based on an individual's better eye visual acuity; in the absence of treatment such as correctable eyewear, assistive devices, and medical treatment– visual impairment may cause the individual difficulties with normal daily tasks including reading and walking. Low vision is a functional definition of visual impairment that is chronic, uncorrectable with treatment or correctable lenses, and impacts daily living. As such low vision can be used as a disability metric and varies based on an individual's experience, environmental demands, accommodations, and access to services. The American Academy of Ophthalmology defines visual impairment as the best-corrected visual acuity of less than 20/40 in the better eye, and the World Health Organization defines it as a presenting acuity of less than 6/12 in the better eye. The term blindness is used for complete or nearly complete vision loss.
The CNIB Foundation is a volunteer agency and charitable organization dedicated to assisting Canadians who are blind or living with vision loss, and to provide information about vision health for all Canadians. Founded in 1918 as the Canadian National Institute for the Blind to assist soldiers who had been blinded in the First World War, CNIB originally offered sheltered care and specialized employment to people with vision loss. It has since expanded to include other programs and services, including research, public education, rehabilitation counselling and training, advocacy and an alternative-format library for people living with a print disability. It is a member of the Braille Authority of North America.
The American Council of the Blind (ACB) is a nationwide organization in the United States. It is an organization mainly made up of blind and visually impaired people who want to achieve independence and equality.
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 the United States. Its national headquarters are in Baltimore, Maryland.
The Nebraska Center for the Education of Children Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired (NCECBVI) is located in Nebraska City, Nebraska, United States. It was founded in 1875 and serves children from infancy to adults age 21. NCECBVI's program offers the expertise and specialized skills of the center's staff to blind, visually impaired, and other disabled students in residential, day, and outreach settings. Services are provided to local school districts, students, families, teachers, and other support staff, upon request. It was previously the Nebraska School for the Visually Handicapped (NSVH).
The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) is a free library program of braille and audio materials such as books and magazines circulated to eligible borrowers in the United States and American citizens living abroad by postage-free mail and online download. The program is sponsored by the Library of Congress. People may be eligible if they are blind, have a visual disability that prevents them from reading normal print, or a physical disability that keeps them from holding a book. Library materials are distributed to regional and subregional libraries and then circulated to eligible patrons. In total there are 55 regional libraries, 32 subregional libraries, and 14 advisory and outreach centers serving the United States and its territories: the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam.
Braille technology is assistive technology which allows blind or visually impaired people to do common tasks such as writing, browsing the Internet, typing in Braille and printing in text, engaging in chat, downloading files, music, using electronic mail, burning music, and reading documents. It also allows blind or visually impaired students to complete all assignments in school as the rest of sighted classmates and allows them take courses online. It enables professionals to do their jobs and teachers to lecture using hardware and software applications. The advances of Braille technology are meaningful because blind people can access more texts, books and libraries and it also facilitates the printing of Braille texts.
A sighted child who is reading at a basic level should be able to understand common words and answer simple questions about the information presented. They should also have enough fluency to get through the material in a timely manner. Over the course of a child's education, these foundations are built on to teach higher levels of math, science, and comprehension skills. Children who are blind not only have the education disadvantage of not being able to see: they also miss out on the very fundamental parts of early and advanced education if not provided with the necessary tools.
Samuel M. Genensky was an American computer scientist, best known as an inventor for devices to assist sight-impaired persons. He was also well known for his advocacy on behalf of the blind.
The Braille Institute of America (BIA) is a nonprofit organization with headquarters in Los Angeles providing programs, seminars and one-on-one instruction for the visually impaired community in Southern California. Funded almost entirely by private donations, all of the institute's services are provided completely free of charge. The organization has seven regional centers: Anaheim, Coachella Valley, Laguna Hills, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego and Santa Barbara, as well as outreach programs at more than 200 locations throughout Southern California. It is a member of the Braille Authority of North America.
The Council of Schools and Services for the Blind (COSB) is a consortium of specialized schools in Canada and the United States whose major goal is improving the quality of services to children who are blind and visually impaired.
Sight Scotland is a Scottish Charity based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The charity provides care, education and employment for people of all ages who are blind or partially sighted. Sight Scotland provides the following services: Royal Blind School, Forward Vision, Braeside House, Jenny's Well, Scottish Braille Press and Kidscene. Sight Scotland’s sister charity is Sight Scotland Veterans.
Jawahar Lal Kaul is an Indian social worker and the founder of the All India Conference of the Blind, an NGO working towards the rehabilitation of the blind. He was honoured by the Government of India, in 2014, which bestowed on him the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, for his services to the field of arts.
OrCam devices such as OrCam MyEye are portable, artificial vision devices that allow visually impaired people to understand text and identify objects through audio feedback, describing what they are unable to see.
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