A $7,000 Braille keyboard ad made a Princeton teen build a $10 one
Jdable designs affordable assistive devices with 3D-printed parts and a volunteer network of engineers, professors and students.
The ad listed a Braille keyboard at $7,000. Umang Sharma, a Princeton, New Jersey teenager, decided that was not a law of nature.
According to Points of Light, which honored him in December 2025, Sharma built a version that costs $10 a unit, using 3D-printed keys and repurposed hardware. That project became Jdable, a youth-led 501(c)(3). The name stands for “jobs for the differently abled.”
“The keyboard got me started,” Sharma told Points of Light, “but other experiences made this work more personal.”
From one keyboard to a product line
Jdable’s range has grown past the keyboard. Points of Light lists 10 assistive devices, including Braille maps and globes developed with an early partner school, an IoT smart cane that detects obstacles and sends navigation alerts, Braille readers and glasses, and autonomous wheelchairs. The group says it has reached more than 1,000 people in the U.S., Canada, India, Finland and the UAE.
That reach figure comes from the organization’s own account, so read it as self-reported. A 2026 Disability Scoop headline separately describes Sharma as a high schooler who makes Braille keyboards for under $10.
The operation runs on more than 50 volunteers: engineers, professors, students and advocates. Jdable also says it approached companies including Google, Microsoft, OpenAI and LinkedIn and received donations for product development.
What is next
Plans in the profile include a hackathon and accelerator for assistive technology, global chapters, and possibly a for-profit arm to fund the nonprofit. The four-year goal is to reach one million people.
His advice to other teens is brief: “Start small, stay curious and let your passion guide you.”
