Saturday, November 7, 2009 . A tour in complete darkness – Shaun Teh
9:56 PM

A tour in complete darkness – Shaun Teh

Before going to Dialogue in the Dark (DiD), I did not really expect much and thought it was going to be a normal tour held maybe just a little differently. Despite having heard successful stories and seen statistics of the overseas DiD branches, I had absolutely no clue what the experience would be like. Many people told me about how the trip will be conducted in total darkness, but still, so what?

After the trip, I immediately took back my words. The experience was absolutely fantastic. The entire tour itself was very professionally conducted. The directions we were given and the quality of service was excellent.
Also during the trip, we had to maintain constant communication with our guide, Wesley, and also had to constantly rely on each other to navigate in pure darkness. We not just learned how important it was to communicate when we are unable to see, but also how important communication is for those who are blind.

The role reversal which took place during the trip was really an amazing experience. Instead of those who are sighted guiding the blind like we see every now and then, the blind are now the ones guiding those who are sighted. It really struck me and quoting one of my course mates Jonathan that “what we have is really a given.” Many times we take for granted what we have and become complacent. I personally have encountered on several occasions, this particular blind man who is probably in his 50s. He was working at this particular place which was nearby my home. I would see him at times during knock-off hours and he would always be alone and using that cane to navigate. However the amazing thing was that to travel from his workplace to the bus stop, was a 300metres walk! (Courtesy of gothere.sg) Furthermore, there is an overhead bridge he had to cross all by himself! However, sometimes at the mention of having to walk a certain distance, we get tired, lazy and complacent. The experience in DiD really challenged the way I looked at things.
I believe that the entire concept of DiD is really astounding. DiD capitalized on the strengths of those who are marginalized and used it to market a product that not just invokes our physicality, but also our thoughts and emotions. As a learning experience, it is truly nothing short of a success. This as a learning model really tells us that every individual has strengths. It is the matter of finding it and unleashing it to its maximum potential.

As a Business and Social Enterprise student, I believe that we can help in areas such as providing manpower via internships and spreading the news about DiD.

Shaun Teh
Business & Social Enterprise
T02


------