innovations
into the darkness
A
n initiative designed to
increase awareness of
vision impairment and
encourage inclusivity has been
launched by Guide Dogs Victoria.
Carole Lander finds out more.
recently opened in Docklands, Guide Dogs Victoria is promoting to
partnered by Guide Dogs Victoria. corporate clients and schools.
I’ve lived in Melbourne for 40
Along the way we encountered
years. I’ve walked in its parks, ridden an ATM and a Myki ticket machine
on its trams and I shop regularly at and I couldn’t imagine how someone
Victoria Market. However, Dialogue in would operate them if they had little
the Dark gave me a whole new way of or no sight. We also had to board
explore it,’ said a voice somewhere viewing those places. Well, not exactly a tram and get off at Bourke Street
in the darkness. I was part of a group viewing because my sense of sight Mall – thank goodness for those
of six, all waving white canes in front was removed. I became acutely aware announcements. I no longer complain
of us and groping with our free hand of how difficult it would be to get about them! I wondered if blind
to see what we would discover. First, around in a busy city if I couldn’t see. people might be as overwhelmed as
it was leaves and tree trunks, then a It was also quite scary but we were me by the barrage of noises in a city.
swaying bridge over water, followed told that if it all became too much
by the instruction to find the park we could leave at any time. However, for social change,” says Karen
bench and sit down. I reassured myself that others were Hayes, CEO of Guide Dogs Victoria.
around to help. This teamwork aspect “Melbourne embraces diversity but
of the tour in the dark is something there’s still work to be done around
Welcome to Melbourne. Let’s
This was all part of an experience
called Dialogue in the Dark
TM
that
“Dialogue in the Dark is a vehicle
inclusion. It’s a social enterprise with
a goal of increasing awareness and
tolerance for otherness.”
Our visually-impaired guide was
trained by the team from Hamburg,
Germany, where Dialogue in the Dark
originated 25 years ago. Andreas
Heinecke was asked to develop work
training for a young journalist who had
lost his eyesight. With no previous
experience working with the disabled,
Heinecke questioned how life could be
lived fully with no vision and came up
with the idea of Dialogue in the Dark.
There are now 133 of these around
the world and Melbourne has the
first one in Australia. Karen Hayes is
delighted that 30 people are now
employed as guides. They range
from 21 to 55 years and are from all
walks of life. Karen sees Dialogue
in the Dark as ‘edutainment’ – a
combination of fun and learning for
all members of the community. They
16
innovation
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