It was an opportunity for sighted people to experience what visually impaired people do every day.
The Low Vision Coalition of Allen County held their first "Dinner in the Dark". Those attending experienced eating a meal as the blind do. As dinner was served the blindfolds went on. At first, you could see some struggling to get their bread buttered or trying to pour the salad dressing onto the salad. But as the meal progressed it appeared to get easier for some. Members of the Low Vision Coalition gave helpful tips like using your knife to find your food and using a dinner roll to make a dam to get food on your fork. Some even switched to using a spoon. The event was designed to raise awareness of the organization and its mission.
"It's very odd, and that's from I as a teacher of visually impaired kids. I kind of know how to do this but it's still a lot of concentration to remember where you put things and where things are located, and using your hands more than we tend to when we have vision," said Corinne Piper, president of the Lima Host Lions Club.
"The major goal is not to make anyone feel intimidated or scared or awkward about their meal. It's really to make people understand that with enough work and enough adaptation, anybody can develop the skills they need to be successful as a blind or visually impaired person," explained Jacob King, Low Vision Coalition of Allen County.
There was also a table with vision assistance items that people could experience. King says the event was a success and they plan to make it an annual event. The funds raised will benefit both the Low Vision Coalition and the Lima Host Lions Club.
