Gone To The Dark Side We Have...

On the 31st November 2011, my journaling team and I experienced a day of total darkness to show empathy to those whom are visually impaired individual’s out there. This programme was first introduced by the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped which enables an individual with normal vision to have a feel of what it is like to live and work in life of total darkness. Most of the visually impaired people were either born with an abnormal vision or accidents occurred during their past time that enable them to use their eye sight anymore.

We were lead by several Sports Management students to the entrance of the Audio Lab near the basement carpark to be brought into the room to have our lunch. We were very anxious and nervous and at the same time trying to picture in our mind how things are going to be like inside the lab. While waiting patiently outside, our imagination started to run wild and we started to share what we felt that would take place inside which made us more reluctant and anxious to enter the lab.

Though we had so much in mind, it did not deter us from participating in the event and entering the lab. After 15 mins of waiting, the journey begins as the door was opened widely for us. When we first entered the room, it was pitch black as the door was shut immediately after we entered the lab. The sound impact of the lab door that was slammed gave us spooky feelings and our mind went totally blank as we were waiting anxiously to be seated to have our lunch.

We settled down and slowly use d our tactile senses to get instructions and eat our food as we were not even able to see who was sitting right beside us or any faces but just a dark room occupied by many students. I was frustrated because I’m unable to listen to the speaker giving out instructions to us as the room was too polluted with unnecessary cheering, jeering and calling out of names. I tried my very best to focus on what the speaker is speaking and tried to block out all the other noises. The only thing that I could hear out of the speaker would be we were given instructions to have our lunch which was already served right in front of us.

I started out by using my sense of touch to feel for my utensils and plate. I realised that as I ate, It felt as if I was chewing a strand of hair, I then slowly spit out what I ate onto the plate and stopped eating. I continued my meal by just eating the muffins provided and drank the whole cup of orange juice.

After an hour of dining in the dark, I was glad that everything went smoothly like what I expected but the bad experience I had faced when I was dining would be an unhygienic handling of food which allows a strand of hair to be on my food which dampens my mood and appetite to eat throughout the event.

The lesson that I have learnt from this activity would be how to show empathy to the visually handicapped. Having strands of hair on my food made me wonder how these handicapped inspect their food. I have also learnt that when we lose our vision, it affects our activity of daily living and also our instrumental activities of daily living. From that day onwards, I tend to appreciate myself for having normal eyesight and other functions.