Handout photo taken during last year’s event shows the participants having their meals blindfolded.
MIRI (Sept 20): The Sarawak Society for the Blind Miri Branch will host its second ‘Blind Date with Food’ dining event at Pullman Miri Waterfront this Oct 17, in conjunction with World White Cane Day on Oct 15.
Branch’s deputy chairman and ophthalmologist Dr Chieng Lee Ling said the event would offer members of the public a brief experience of navigating a dining environment without sight, with the aim of fostering greater understanding and respect for the visually impaired community.
“When you cannot see anything, you’ll realise that things you normally consider simple can become difficult.
“This is the kind of experience we like to offer to participants,” he said in a statement.
Participants will be required to put away mobile phones, watches and other light-emitting items before entering the dining area.
The event will be held in two sessions of about an hour each, with 20 participants per session.
Before entering the pitch-black dining area, participants will take part in tactile games to help them adjust to the darkness.
Visually-impaired servers will then guide participants to their seats and teach them how to locate cutlery and food, allowing them to rely on touch, hearing, smell and taste throughout the dining experience.
Dr Chieng said the activity also aimed to challenge stereotypes about the visually impaired and demonstrate that they could navigate their surroundings and perform everyday tasks through different methods.
He said the longer-term objective was to create employment opportunities for the visually impaired community by developing the concept into a sustainable business.
“If this concept can be turned into a sustainable business, it would mean employment opportunities for the visually-impaired, while elevating their dignity and confidence, while reinforcing their relevance and ability to contribute meaningfully to society,” he said.
Tickets are priced at RM100 per person, with the registration available through the Google form via https://forms.gle/Fkyu9jgPNSaREMof6.