Dialogue in the Dark is a tour unlike any we had done before. It was an experience that helps non-blind people, experience blindness. Sounds odd, but it was fascinating.

Our tour guide was blind and we actually never saw his face. The simulation rooms we went through were pitch black, you could see absolutely nothing- not even your hand in front of your face. Our guide’s name was Andre and he was one of the most engaging tour guides I’ve met. We learned an immense amount about the blind community and how Andre experiences blindness. He became blind about 10 years ago and now is a tour guide for the company. Andre had a tumor on his eye and did not catch it quick enough so he went blind over a 3-week period. That would have been a very hard time of confusion and adjustment to a completely new life.

Andre shared how the crosswalk buttons here have a sleek arrow on the bottom of the button to help point in direction of where to walk. Additionally, the euro coins have unique ridges on each to differentiate one from another and there is a card supplied to all blind folks that helps measure paper bills to know which is which. On the tour, we explored in the pitch black with our white canes an apartment, a park, crossing a street, ordering/getting a drink at a cafe, and learned all about Andre’s story and his life as a blind man.