Christian Record Services for the Blind (Christian Record Services, Inc., CRSB) is a

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

that serves people who are legally blind and

visually impaired 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� ...

. "Christian Record Services for the Blind is an

international organization An international organization or international organisation (see spelling differences), also known as an intergovernmental organization or an international institution, is a stable set of norms and rules meant to govern the behavior of states a ...

serving blind and visually impaired individuals in approximately 70 countries worldwide and employs about 15 people." It is a ministry of the Seventh-day Adventist Church but services blind people regardless of beliefs.

History

Christian Record Services for the Blind (Christian Record Services, Inc., CRSB) was founded in 1899 by Austin Orlando Wilson. 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 A washing machine (laundry machine, clothes washer, washer, or simply wash) is a home appliance used to wash laundry. The term is mostly applied to machines that use water as opposed to dry cleaning (which uses alternative cleaning fluids and ...

hand wringer for a

printing press A printing press is a mechanical device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a print medium (such as paper or cloth), thereby transferring the ink. It marked a dramatic improvement on earlier printing methods in which the ...

. In 1900, a yearly subscription to ''Christian Record'' cost $1.50.Treolo, John. Christian Record: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow. 1985. This fee was eliminated in 1912 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. Christian Record Services for the Blind moved to a temporary location provided by one of its sister institutions,

Union College (Nebraska) Union College is a private Seventh-day Adventist college in Lincoln, Nebraska. Founded in 1891, it is owned and operated by the Mid-American Union Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It is accredited by the Adventist Accrediting As ...

in 1904. Christian Record had several temporary locations from 1904 to 1912. May 28, 1912, the organization purchased a building across the street from

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. In 1933–34, CRSB had an exhibit at the

World's Fair A world's fair, also known as a universal exhibition or an expo, is a large international exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations. These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specif ...

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. 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. In 1967, CRSB opened the first-ever

summer camp A summer camp or sleepaway camp is a supervised program for children conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as ''campers''. Summer school is usually a part of the academ ...

for the blind at Kulaqua in

High Springs, Florida High Springs is a city in Alachua County, Florida, United States. It is the fourth-largest city in Alachua County and seventh-largest in North Central Florida. The population was 6,215 at the 2020 census. History The present-day area of High S ...

a
Kulaqua Retreat and Conference Center
with 23 youth. Over 48,000 individuals have attended CRSB's blind camps across North America since their inception.Better Business Bureau http://www.bbb.org/charity-reviews/national/toc/christian-record-services-for-the-blind-in-lincoln-ne-487#charPrograms 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. In 1970, Christian Record started putting its books onto audio cassette tapes. September 2010, Christian Record wa
awarded
the Lincoln Nebraska Integrity Award by the Better Business Bureau. July 2011, the organization started releasing its audiobooks o

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 Beginning in 2017, Christian Record expanded its digital library holdings, giving clients better access to online and mobile reading materials.

Lending library

Christian Record Services

lending library A lending library is a library from which books and other media are lent out. The major classifications are endowed libraries, institutional libraries (the most diverse), public libraries, and subscription libraries. It may also refer to a library ...

contains more than 1,500 volumes in Braille and digital cartridges, free of charge for the blind and visually impaired.

Magazine subscriptions

Christian Record Services offers free large-print and

Braille Braille (Pronounced: ) 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 disp ...

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''.

Full-vision books

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.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Christian Record Services For The Blind 1899 establishments in Nebraska Blindness organizations in the United States Braille organizations International organizations based in the United States Non-profit organizations based in Nebraska Organizations based in Lincoln, Nebraska Organizations established in 1899 Seventh-day Adventist media Seventh-day Adventist organizations