Dialogue in the Dark: Blind Guides Offer Sight to the Seeing, Hamburg, Germany

Tucked away in Hamburg’s warehouse district is the most eye-opening exhibition I’ve been to in recent memory. It’s called Dialog Im Dunkeln, or Dialogue in the Dark. The exhibit is a guided tour through a completely blacked-out environment led by blind or partially blind guides.

You are given a cane for guidance, and you are taken through an incredible journey through six everyday environments, where you can experience life through the eyes of the visually impaired. Immediately after entering the exhibition, you feel a little scared. You and others in your group are now plunged into completed darkness. You’re scared of falling, touching the wrong thing, or walking into a wall. Indeed, my friend did feel me up at least three times, and I did awkwardly stumble over steps and rocks; but we survived.

But the scariest thing is that you have no idea what comes next. If you are interested in the exhibit and you don’t want to know what comes next, skip the next three paragraphs.

First, you walk through a park. You can hear the birds around you and you feel a light breeze. You quickly learn to use your walking stick to avoid hitting other visitors or obstacles in your path. You walk over rocks, holding on to each other and the trees nearby. Your guide’s disembodied voice directs you to follow him over a bridge. You begin to rely on the help of the people around you. Though you can see nothing, you’d be surprised how helpful it is to hear, “There’s a step up ahead” or “Grab on to the rail on your left.” ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).