In August, we hosted a Dining in the Dark event at Skip’s After Market in Madison. A sold-out crowd enjoyed a delicious four-course vegetarian meal while blindfolded.
Dining in the Dark offers a unique learning opportunity. First, attendees get to experience a meal using senses other than vision. Afterwards, Council staff lead discussions about the experience and field other questions about living with blindness or low vision. While Dining in the Dark events take place nationwide, ours puts the emphasis on this post-meal discussion to center the lives of people with vision loss. This conversation helps build a bridge of understanding and gives sighted participants a little better sense of how people who are blind or low vision navigate everyday life.
This education can be a powerful experience for attendees. “I attended Dinner in the Dark event at Skip’s Market with a friend and neighbor who has some visual impairment,” participant Kathryn Nelson said after the event. “The food was delicious, but more than that, I was deeply impacted by this event. I had never considered what people who are blind or low vision face even in terms of simple activities like eating, and the role vision plays in the activities of daily living. And I wanted to support the mission of your organization with a small donation.”
While this was our first Dining in the Dark event at Skip’s After Market, which generously donated their space for this event, our chef hosts for the event—Mark Wroczynski and Brian Wacker, owners of Wish Upon a Weiner—have been involved in Dining in the Dark events for about a decade. “Dining in the Dark is one of my favorite dinner events that I host,” Mark says. “There’s just something about the after-dinner discussion that’s so gratifying. As a chef, it’s fun to create a culinary experience knowing they aren’t using their vision. I’ve learned a lot, and I love to share that knowledge with servers and bartenders that I work with.”
Thank you to Mark and Brian, Skip’s After Market, and everyone who join us for Dining in the Dark. To stay up to date on future Dining in the Dark events, subscribe to our weekly On Sight e-newsletter, follow the Council on social media, and visit our Dining in the Dark web page.