SHREVEPORT, La. — The Louisiana Association for the Blind has opened a nearly $4.8 million assistive technology center in Shreveport following a renovation and expansion led by Hand Construction.
The 14,000-square-foot center at 1826 Claiborne Ave. will provide assessments, training and access to assistive technology for blind and visually impaired Louisiana residents. The project transformed a former printing facility and included a new entrance and secure parking lot.
The Louisiana Association for the Blind serves visually impaired people of all ages, from infants to senior citizens. The expanded facility is designed to increase the number of screenings and services the organization can provide while offering clients access to a wider range of assistive technologies.
“This expansion allows us to provide more options to our clients,” Louisiana Association for the Blind President and CEO Brian Patchett said. “We now have the room to provide more screenings, more services and more assistive technology options. Our team’s goal is to allow every visually impaired person to live an independent life.”
Among the technologies available are smart glasses capable of scanning and reading books and magazines aloud, talking white sticks and other devices intended to help users live more independently.
Hand Construction led construction of the project.
“This wasn’t just a construction project for our team. We understood it was a necessary next step in L.A.B.’s mission,” Kyle Hand of Hand Construction said. “When you build something like this, you’re not just following a blueprint; you’re helping build independence for people who will walk through these doors for generations to come.”
The new center marks another stage in the Louisiana Association for the Blind’s nearly century-long history in Shreveport. The organization was established by the Lions Club in 1927 to train and employ residents who were blind, with workers initially producing brooms.
Today, the organization operates a copy paper manufacturing facility and a nonskid flooring factory that supply products to private businesses and the federal government. It also operates Base Supply Centers at Barksdale Air Force Base and Fort Polk.
“This area was so fortunate that the Lions Club had such a forward-thinking approach to help residents who were visually impaired,” Patchett said. “Members of that original club would be shocked to see how their plans have grown into this premier assistive technology facility.”
Patchett said assistive technology has changed considerably since the organization’s founding, when resources centered on tools such as braille, white canes and guide dogs. Those resources remain important, he said, while newer technologies have expanded the options available to clients.