During my recent visit to Hyderabad, India, I came across a unique place called “Dialogue in the Dark”. As a visually challenged individual myself, the idea of visiting the place with a sighted person really fascinated me because I could give another individual a unique insight into my so-called dark world for some time.
I visited the place with my wonderful mother. Initially, she was not prepared for it and was a bit apprehensive.
With another relative, three of us planned to enter the exhibition along with a tour guide. Before entering the exhibition site, all objects that emit light such as mobile phones, watches, and torches were taken away from us. We went inside a pitched black room and were handed walking sticks. We were introduced to our guide and I took the lead among us as I was visually challenged and felt very comfortable in darkness.
We were explained the rules and were taken to different sections of the exhibition, each one testing a sense that sighted people often tend to take it for granted. My mother and the other relative felt a little scared when walking independently in the dark, but they lived like a blind person for an hour and felt more at ease as we progressed. They felt and identified objects, heard sounds, smelt things, and tasted the items in a blind café. Upon completion of the tour, we were told that the tour guide was visually impaired. This means that the blind showed the way to the sighted and proved that they are as capable as the sighted.
When we came out of the exhibition, my mother was almost in tears and told me that she realized how her son lives his life in the dark on a daily basis. She experienced life without eyes and appreciated her other senses. More importantly, an individual who goes through this experience should empathize with a so-called disabled person rather than sympathize.
I would like similar experiences to be introduced in all cities around the world to promote a better understanding about the daily lives of the differently-abled. People should visit these places and get an insight into the interesting life of a person with special needs. They will be able to see first-hand the complications and challenges that come with the loss of a sense. This will make us appreciate our senses and life a lot more and prevent us from taking everything for granted. — Naqi Haider Rizvi, Dammam
Let’s have dialogue in the dark
