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Dialogue in the Dark ("Dialog in the Dark" in American promotional materials) is an awareness raising
Dialogue in the Dark international website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dialogue In The Dark 1988 establishments in West Germany Organizations established in 1988 Blindness organisations in Germany Organisations based in Hamburg German inventions
Dialogue in the Dark ("Dialog in the Dark" in American promotional materials) is an awareness raising exhibition
An exhibition, in the most general sense, is an organized presentation and display of a selection of items. In practice, exhibitions usually occur within a cultural or educational setting such as a museum, art gallery, park, library, exhibitio ...
and franchise, as well as a social business. In ''Dialogue in the Dark'', blind guides lead visitors in small groups through different settings in absolute darkness
Darkness, the direct opposite of lightness, is defined as a lack of illumination, an absence of visible light, or a surface that absorbs light, such as black or brown.
Human vision is unable to distinguish colors in conditions of very low ...
. Through this visitors learn how to interact without sight by using their other senses
A sense is a biological system used by an organism for sensation, the process of gathering information about the world through the detection of stimuli. (For example, in the human body, the brain which is part of the central nervous system re ...
, as well as experience what it is like to be blind. The exhibition is organized as a social franchising company, which offers the exhibition as well as business workshops, and has created jobs for the blind, disabled, and disadvantaged worldwide. The exhibition aims to change mindsets on disability
Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, ...
and diversity, and increase tolerance
Tolerance or toleration is the state of tolerating, or putting up with, conditionally.
Economics, business, and politics
* Toleration Party, a historic political party active in Connecticut
* Tolerant Systems, the former name of Veritas Software ...
for “otherness”. More than 9 million visitors have gone through an experience in the Dark and thousands of blind guides and facilitators find employment through exhibitions and workshops.
History
Dialogue in the Dark was founded by Andreas Heinecke in 1988. It had its premiere inFrankfurt
Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , " Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on it ...
, Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
. For more than 10 years it toured throughout the world as a travelling exhibition in museums or as a special event in a fair or festival. Since then, Dialogue Social Enterprise, the company that owns the brand, has turned the exhibition into a franchise. The first permanent exhibition was established in Hamburg
Hamburg (, ; nds, label=Hamburg German, Low Saxon, Hamborg ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (german: Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg; nds, label=Low Saxon, Friee un Hansestadt Hamborg),. is the List of cities in Germany by popul ...
, Germany (Dialog im Dunkeln) in April 2000. There have been exhibitions in more than 150 cities in over 30 countries. Dialogue in the Dark is currently available in 21 countries in different formats. Some of these countries include China, Japan, Italy, Israel, South Korea, Germany, Greece, Austria, Russia, the USA and Singapore.
Idea
The main concept of the exhibition is role reversal, as within the exhibit the blind become "sighted" and while the seeing become blind. Furthermore, the sighted get out of their social routines and blind people give them a sense of orientation and mobility. During and after the tour visitors have the opportunity to ask the guide questions.Mission
Dialogue in the Dark has two main goals. The first is to increase the public’s awareness of and tolerance for “otherness”. According to its website, Dialogue in the Dark's second goal is to create jobs for disadvantaged people by turning perceived deficits into potential assets.References
External links
Dialogue in the Dark international website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dialogue In The Dark 1988 establishments in West Germany Organizations established in 1988 Blindness organisations in Germany Organisations based in Hamburg German inventions