The ‘Dining In the Dark’ experience is organised by the Singapore Association of the Visually
Handicapped (SAVH) to raise public awareness of the challenges that persons with vision impairment face in their daily activities. A sighted person can experience what it is like to be blind without the use of blindfolds.
The idea for Dining in the Dark originated from the Blindekuh (Blind Cow) restaurant in Switzerland where patrons at the restaurant were served by blind and visually impaired people.
Over at SAVH, we have specially trained our visually impaired clients to prepare set course meals for your dining pleasure. They are engaged by SAVH as servers and kitchen helpers to serve lunch or dinner. SAVH has created the opportunity for them to earn a means of living which facilitate their integration process with the community.
While you as patrons will not be able to rely on your sight, we invite you to fully exploit your other senses such as taste, touch, smell and hearing during this session for a unique experience that proved exceptional and memorable.
Patrons who experience difficulty in consuming their meals in pitch darkness faced the situation once, as they gain their vision after the lights are on. To the blind, it is a lifetime of darkness and encountering other challenges such as education, employment opportunities, mobility, family relations etc. It is a lifetime of adapting and adjusting to new environments and situations on top of those common to all of us. Some blind clients adapt quickly to blindness, some take longer to adjust – some never adjust. SAVH provide some help in filling in the gaps and strive to ensure the welfare of the blind is addressed.
The dining in the dark experience highlighted that where blindness affects the daily lives of the blind, difficulties can be overcome.
Dining in the dark at SAVH had seen patrons having birthday celebrations, wedding proposal nights and corporate bonding sessions or simply having a good get-together.
We hope that through your personal interactions, you would be able to share this dining experience with your family, friends and colleagues, and when you next encounter a blind person, you are able to empathize in a way that will make a difference.
As you support SAVH and this initiative, you are also contributing your share towards a more inclusive society, as the blind servers and kitchen helpers acquire skills for them to be employable, earn their living, gain self-reliance and independence and live with dignity!
Here is a review from one of our customers Why Dining In The Dark Is A Good CSR Activity.
Will food taste the same in total darkness? How can a visually impaired person serve a meal? Abandon your vision, step into the shoes of the blind. Be reacquainted with your other senses and get to know your servers and what life is like for them. A reservation is required. To make a reservation and have this unique dining experience, please contact us at 6251 4333 or e-mail us at ditd@savh.org.sg.
