Tuesday, January 27, 2009

What does it feel like to be blind?

Dialog in the Dark



Visitors are led by blind or visually impaired guides through a specially constructed and totally darkened Exhibition, in which sounds, wind, temperatures, and textures covey the characteristics of common daily environments such as a park or cityscape. In the dark, these environments take on a whole new dimension. Visitors must rely on the guides for security and orientation in this world without pictures. Relying also on their other senses, visitors learn to “see” in an entirely new way. Their experience leads to reflection: social borders are reduced and ignorance gets changed into openness and respect.

Click here to check out some video.


Andreas Heinecke, PhD, the founder of DIALOG IN THE DARK, brought his exhibit to the United States in 2008. Heinecke experienced first hand the lack of employment opportunities for people who are blind and visually impaired when he worked as Vice-Director of the Stiftung Blindenanstalt (Foundation for the Blind) in Hamburg, Germany. He concluded that prejudice created fear, avoidance, and stereotypes, which prevented the disabled from accessing education, information, career opportunities, transportation, and leisure activities. He created Diaglog in the Dark as a way for sighted individuals to "see" what it is like to be blind, thus gaining compassion, respect, and understanding of blind and visually impaired individuals.

Dialog in the Dark will be in Atlanta at the Premier Exhibition Center at Atlantic Station until March 1, 2009.


For more information you can visit http://www.dialogtickets.com/
or call 1-866-866-8265

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