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By Nomadic Chris
Hong Kong is a cramped and fast paced city always on the move but what is it like to experience Hong Kong in total darkness?
Can you go to a wet market to buy food or order a drink in a bar in pitch darkness?
Can you really get a sense or feel of a city without being able to see it?
These fascinating questions can now be answered by taking part in the new Hong Kong simulation exhibition from the global Non Profit ‘Dialogue in the Dark’ (now DiD). The DiD exhibition (in Kowloon) educates, empowers and is an experience truly like no other! This unique tour is set inside a specially constructed pitch black exhibition. Total darkness for 75 minutes! Thus, a new world for participants to explore!
Able bodied participants are lead by visually impaired guides to see the world in literally, a different light. Roles are reversed and the visually impaired person is empowered to guide; on the flip side, the participants enhance their other senses such as touch, listening and hearing. The goal is to allow participants to ‘see’ the world in a more inclusive way. The beauty of the world can be experienced in so many different ways!
I had previously experienced DiD corporate training and found it fascinating so the new exhibition was a must! My tour began with four people (including myself), we were provided canes to help guide us. We went through a curtain where we were met with pitch darkness. Far from being disorientated, the darkness was somewhat comforting and peaceful. After a while, I remembered that I did not need to close my eyes, it was just darkness infront and around me!
The canes allowed us to find our way around and people’s voices became instantly recognisable. Julian was our professionally trained visually impaired guide; I immediately remembered his distinctive voice from my previous DiD session. Julian was literally our ‘eyes’ as we followed his ‘voice’ around.
For over a hour, we were ‘blind’and immersed in the tour; we were ready to discover parts of Hong Kong from a totally new perspective. Inside were several different everyday scenarios including a park, a ferry, a market, a movie theatre and a café. We walked through a park, took a boat from Kowloon to Hong Kong, shopped in a market, listen to music in a theatre and ordered a drink. The street level scenario was incredible, sounds become more distinctive and you realise all the potential obstacles a visually impaired person faces on street level.
Yes, these are common everyday situations but would you be able to navigate and enjoy them properly unsighted?
Your other senses become enhanced with certain sounds and smells becoming all so much sweeter when adapting to the surroundings. It was truly an enlightening feeling!
Julian guided us every step of the way; without him, our journey would have taken much longer. His gentle instructions lead us from one section to another. Our roles were totally reversed, the so called ‘blind’ became sighted and the sighted became ‘blind’. We were out of our comfort zone but somehow easily adaptable.
The tour ended with a sharing and feedback session. The participants learnt how to move and navigate as a blind person, how to appreciate the environment unsighted and how to sense all the other beauty that exists in the world.
The exhibition is an unique journey. For me, it was fascinating and empowering. To see Julian live and work to his full potential despite his circumstances was truly inspiring. Your 75 minutes in the darkness will change your perceptions towards the visually impaired, your own senses and you will realise that a person can and will achieve anything once they put their mind to it!
Highly recommended for people of all ages!
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