CSB - Computer Sciences for the Blind - is a non-profit organization enhancing the lives of blind, visually impaired & physically challenged Jewish individuals through a variety of unique programs and services offered to inspire, uplift and assist them in realizing their full potential in every single  aspect of life.  Services include:

 

1.  Auditory seforim software for blind or low vision: Has been used by over a two hundred clients who had no other access to Torah.

 

2.  Audio/Visual Metsudah Chumash Software, Gemara and Mishnayos Software: Has been used by 1500 clients, mostly students between 3rd-12th grades. This software has saved many children who were capable learners but poor readers due to dyslexia, defocusing, and a variety of other reading disorders. Through multisensory reading of the seforim and the configurability of the program for every skill level, the software helps these users develop reading fluency through sight word acquisition and constant feedback on their kriah skills.

 

3.  Braille display system: This system gives Braille readers instant access to almost every sefer available. 22 clients are fully productive and independent learners using this system. One user is a magid shiur for a beis medrash in Brooklyn. Several of the blind children using the system are the top of their class.

 

4.  Zemanim Hotline (718) 331-TIME for US and Canada: Developed by request of several blind clients who were unable to access daily zemanim, it gets an astounding 1.3 million calls a year!

 

5.  Accessibility interfaces for the disabled: Designed special interfaces for all of our software to enable clients with MS, CP, strokes, and other severe disabilities to have full access to our audio/visual software. They include; voice recognition, sip and puff, tilt switches, ultimate switch, light sensors, and head mouse.

 

6.  Custom large print division: Any sefer in any size based upon client's visual capabilities; an estimated 20,000 volumes distributed since inception 5 years ago.

 

7.  Braille/Print: Developed software to create Hebrew Braille volumes with print beneath the Braille. This is a significant aid for the parents and teachers of blind children. Estimated 750 volumes of Braille/Print distributed around the world each year.

 

8.  Braille Chumash/Rashi, Gemara/Rashi: Developed software to create a single Braille volume for Chumash with Rashi or Gemara with Rashi. The main text is on the top of the page and the commentary on the bottom, just like the regular seforim. A full set of Braille/Print Chumash/Rashi which is 22 volumes takes an entire week to prepare!

 

9.  ScanView System: Tablet PC coupled with software developed by CSB enables students with fluctuating low vision to have all of their material scanned in and available in any size. They write their assignments on the tablet PC. This software has dozens of features developed for students of all ages.

 

10.  TorahView system: A large screen system and CSB TorahView software gives low vision clients access to almost any sefer. System is designed to be easy to use by elderly clients and has advanced features for more savvy users.

 

11.  Double 11x17, Triple 11x17 Gemara Blatt: An innovative software which scans in volumes of gemara or any sefer and reprints them in a bindable 11x17 format where the blatt spans either two or three 11x17 pages. The software scans the pages, downloads them, and splits them without cutting through any gemara, rashi, or tosfos. There are dozens of clients using these gemaras in both Yeshivos and for Daf Yomi shiurim around the country.

 

12.  Communication software for ALS and speech impaired clients: Developed communication software for Yiddish speaking clients who are speech impaired. These clients include ALS patients who can only move their eyes and control their computers through eye movement and children who have speech disorders and use portable devices to communicate. Some of these clients are using Skype along with CSB software to speak on the telephone. CSB is currently developing a much more advanced Hebrew and Yiddish communication software with grammatical predictions.

 

13.  Installation, support, training, and custom programming of eye tracking systems: CSB is currently working with 19 ALS patients to give them the best quality of life through eye tracking systems which is their only way of communicating. CSB trains and supports clients on the Quickglance, Mytobii P10 and C12, Eyemax, and Eyegaze systems. CSB services include adding necessary software programming to supplement these systems for Hebrew and Yiddish languages and for feature requests of the client. CSB has been successful in getting new clients trained and communicating quickly because of the ability to support, train, and program in one package.

 

14.  Installation, support, training, and custom programming of Dynavox Vmax, Maestro, and Series 5 systems: CSB is responsible for 20 children using these systems for communication. These include children with Apraxia and Cerebral Palsy. CSB has designed software for Yiddish and Hebrew speech, games and story books to stimulate speech, hardware setups for wheelchairs, beds, and specialty tables.

 

15.  Support, training, and custom programming for many disabled clients: CSB is responsible for the computer needs of many clients whose hardware and software requirements are beyond the scope of standard computer professionals. For example, CSB just recently set up a client who has polio and was required to lie in bed most of the day while on a ventilator. This required specialty screen mounts, specialty mice for her disability, voice recognition software, and a host of other software necessary for her daily use of a computer. Every client presents new challenges. Other examples include paralyzed clients who were setup with voice activated mice and head mice to control their computers.

 

16.  Special Hebrew Braille Volumes: CSB has undertaken many innovative projects for clients who require Braille. One example was a blind teacher who needed her Braille reader to match the line and page numbers of the sighted students’ books so she could teach them. An estimated 50 volumes each year are heavily customized.

 

17.  Artscroll and Feldheim Braille and large print books: CSB provides Artscroll and Feldheim books in Braille and large print. Both publishers email CSB the digital texts of requested books which CSB prints in Braille or large print. These books include Braille books with the pictures for blind mothers’ to read to their sighted children! One of our most beautiful projects is the captioning of the pictures in these books so the parents can describe the pictures even though they can’t see them. But here's the most extraordinary part of it all: A CSB client with ALS who can only move her eyes does the captioning for us!

 

18.  CSB Conference: CSB has a full day conference every few years. Blind clients and parents of blind children come from around the country to learn about new CSB services and to network with others in their situation. The first conference was in 2003, the second in 2007 and another is currently in the works.

 

19.  Workplace and school integration: CSB plays a vital role in the seamless integration of clients into school or workplace. CSB addresses every aspect of the technologies necessary for integration. These include screen magnification, text to speech and speech to text software, electronic Braille systems, paper forms and electronic image conversions, specialty keyboards, mice, trackballs, keyguards, embossers, Braille and audio note takers, and almost always a few pieces of custom written software to fill in the gaps.

 

20.   CSB is an information center for the technology needs of its clients: It is beyond comprehension how most speech therapists are unaware of basic communication devices available. Every day CSB has the opportunity to enlighten someone with a product or service available which they never knew existed. The cumulative knowledge of technology in the CSB office is astounding. CSB once saved a client thousands of dollars when they were about to purchase and install in a school desk with a very costly touch panel screen for their daughter. CSB informed them that they needed a pen based panel and not a touch panel for the intended use. The magnitude and importance of the work being done by CSC cannot be underestimated - the enriched lives and heightened productivity levels of hundreds depend on it each day.