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California School for the Blind

California School for the Blind
500 Walnut Avenue
Fremont, CA 94536
(510) 794-3800
Clinical Faculty Member: Cindy Sakai, OD csakai@berkeley.edu

Clinical Services

This clinic specializes in care for children with low vision between the ages of 4 and 22. The goal of the clinic is to provide devices that will assist the children with accessing educational materials encountered at school and allow the child to make good use of their vision. Devices may include hand-held or stand magnifiers, telescopes or sun tints. Another objective of our clinic is to provide resources for those that need support beyond enlargement of materials such as audio or electronic devices.

The program is sponsored by CSB, UCBSO and the California Department of Education. As a result, there is no charge for the examination or the devices. Spectacles are not provided as a part of this program.

The CSB clinic has one examination room that is well equipped to serve this population. The patients may be students at CSB but also come from other California school districts. The only stipulations for being seen in the CSB clinic are that the student be in public school and be accompanied by their teacher for the visually impaired.

Location and Hours of Operation

  • CSB is located in Fremont at 500 Walnut Avenue (at the corner of Gallaudet Drive and Walnut). Parking is available on Walnut in front of the school and off Gallaudet Drive in front of the Assessment Center. No permit is required. The clinic operates most Wednesdays starting at 8:30 A.M. When the clinic is not operating, the clinicians will be working with CSB personnel or observing low vision services at other local agencies.

Student Clinicians

  • 4th-year clinicians work with the CSB team which includes the attending doctor, Low Vision Resident and CSB personnel.
  • All clinicians need to be in professional clinic attire but no white coat is required. Student clinicians at CSB are expected to follow the same professional guidelines that are set forth in clinic manual at Berkeley Optometry and the regulations set forth by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). As a joint CSB/UCBSO policy, it is forbidden to remove files and letters from the CSB. Removal of a patient’s file/letter from CSB will result in dismissal from the clinic.

Eye Clinic Equipment

  • The CSB clinic’s one exam room is equipped such that clinicians are not required to bring any of their own equipment.

Patient Care

  • Examinations, including device demonstrations and patient consultations, are conducted by the 4th year clinicians and the Low Vision Resident in collaboration with the attending doctor.  A typed summary of the exam with recommendations for devices is to be completed on the day of the exam.
  • Clinicians will provide care to patients with a variety of conditions including retinitis pigmentosa, retinopathy of prematurity, and Stargardt disease.