SHREVEPORT, La. — Louisiana Association for the Blind has completed a nearly $4.8 million renovation of its Shreveport headquarters, transforming a former copy-paper warehouse into a new 16,000-square-foot facility focused on training, technology and services for people who are blind or visually impaired.
According to financial disclosures filed with the Louisiana Legislative Auditor, the organization entered into contracts totaling approximately $4.8 million for the headquarters renovation and a new exterior entrance. Hand Construction’s contract totaled $4.514 million, while Newman Marchive’s architectural contract totaled $288,602.
The renovated space will serve as the new V.I.T.A.L. facility, an acronym for Vision, Independence, Training, Access and Learning. The project converted space that previously served as a copy-paper warehouse at the organization’s headquarters at 1750 Claiborne Ave.
A ribbon cutting for the completed project is scheduled for Sept. 15.
The expansion is intended to strengthen the organization’s assistive technology and training capabilities. Louisiana Association for the Blind has described the project as an Assistive Technology Training Center where people who are blind or visually impaired can access and learn to use technology designed to improve independence.
Assistive technology services currently offered by the organization include assessments, training and technology integration assistance for employers. Devices and software can range from magnification tools and talking devices to smartphones, tablets and other technology that helps users perform tasks at home, school and work.
The project also represents a significant reinvestment in an organization that has operated in Shreveport for nearly a century.
Louisiana Association for the Blind traces its history to 1927, when it was founded by the Lions Club to train and employ blind workers making and selling brooms. It has since expanded into a broader organization offering low-vision services, children’s programs, independent-living instruction, job training, employment placement and assistive technology services.
The organization also has a substantial business and manufacturing operation.
LAB operates Base Supply Centers at Barksdale Air Force Base and Fort Johnson and provides logistics products to the military. Its manufacturing divisions convert raw materials into copy paper and produce 3M non-skid material used on U.S. Navy ships.
Those operations support LAB’s broader mission of creating employment opportunities for people who are blind or visually impaired while generating revenue that helps fund community services and training programs.
The headquarters renovation was already well underway by late 2025. Financial statements show LAB had paid approximately $2.34 million toward the construction and architectural contracts as of Nov. 20, 2025, leaving about $2.46 million in remaining commitments at that time. The organization said it expected to fund the remaining work through existing cash resources and future operating cash flow.
The completed expansion now gives LAB additional space to combine technology, training and accessibility services under one roof as demand grows for tools that help people with visual impairments live and work independently.