The Valley Center for the Blind in Fresno is hosting an open house Friday at its new home at 3417 W. Shaw Ave.

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Established in 1973, Valley Center for the Blind provides services for more than 300 blind and visually impaired people each year. Services include educational classes such as Braille and assistive technology training, as well as independent living skills and recreational programs.

Valley Center for the Blind serves Fresno, Madera, Tulare and Kings counties.

Ken Warkentin is executive director of the center. He became involved in 2011 after his daughters were in a car accident, leaving 15-year-old Shaela Warkentin with extensive injuries and ultimately total vision loss.

“Both the physical and financial states of the organization deeply concerned me when I came on board,” Warkentin said in a statement. “Blindness was now going to be a part of our lives and lending whatever skills that I had to improve the agency seemed natural and imperative. The improvements to date are a huge blessing and, yet, there is so much more we hope to accomplish.”

The open house begins Friday with a 4 p.m. ribbon cutting. For more information, visit http://valleycenterfortheblind.org/