Dining in the Dark immerses participants in challenges visually impaired people face daily

Dazzling dishes, elegant tableware and beautifully plated food are essential to the fine dining experience — or are they?

For the estimated 2.2 billion people across the globe with near or distant vision impairments, fine dining is more about the experience than the décor. Those spaces also come with challenges. While those challenged don’t stop students at Savannah Center for the Blind and Low Vision (Savannah CBLV), those challenges can be difficult to understand if you’ve never experienced vision loss. To help bridge this gap, Savannah CBLV’s eighth annual Dining in the Dark invites guests to immerse themselves in a different perspective on fine dining and community.

'You just don't know how intimidating [vision loss] is until you're able to experience it'

When a small group of vision-impaired and blind Savannahians established the center in 1963, their mission was to help people maintain their independence and dignity after vision loss. Today, the center reaches more than 450 people, ranging from 2 to 90 years old, in 29 counties across Southeast Georgia each year.

The world isn’t quite built for people with vision impairments, so much of the center’s programming is geared toward helping students navigate daily tasks from going grocery shopping to using public transportation.

Sometimes this means getting a bit creative. Savannah CBLV Director of Development Leslie Eatherly said many students forgo credit cards in favor of cash, and vision loss certainly isn’t going to stand in their way. By matching each bill amount to a certain folding pattern, checkout is a bit easier, and this is just the start of the clever systems that help people experiencing vision loss employ to live independent lives. With the help of the center’s in-home services, students can also tackle household chores like cooking and cleaning using bump dots to locate the desired buttons on appliances.

“You just don't know how intimidating [vision loss] is until you're able to experience it,” Eatherly said. “You really gain a whole new respect for people who have vision impairments.”

Dining in the Dark is just a glimpse of this experience, but a glimpse can make all the difference.

Night vision equipment helps SWAT team members serve three-course meal

The night will begin with a cocktail hour, featuring live music from Savannah Philharmonic’s string quartet, a silent auction, popcorn tastings and a diamond dig sponsored by Harkleroad Diamonds. Afterward, guests will move to a blackout chamber to allow their eyes to acclimate to the darkness. During this time, guests are encouraged to turn off mobile devices and smartwatches because the smallest hint of light can fracture the full experience. Guests will then be escorted to their tables, where the Savannah Police Department’s SWAT team will use their night vision equipment to serve a three-course meal.

“These guys [on the SWAT team] donate their personal time to the event. Each year, they're just as excited as the previous one,” Eatherly said. “We couldn't do the event without them.”

So, what’s on the menu? Well, that information is still top-secret, but Eatherly promised each dish will be delicious, and the team will ask about allergies and dietary restrictions beforehand. Once you’ve located your plate and silverware (hint: each table will have a typical formal setting), you’re free to dig in. Just make sure to pay attention to the four remaining senses as they accommodate the loss of vision.

Other senses are on high alert when the lights go down. Tastebuds work harder to parse different flavors and textures. The aroma of fresh bread intensifies, the feeling of dressed lettuce more noticeable under a salad fork. As Savannah CBLV students give speeches throughout the meal, the human voice becomes a beacon, a source of comfort.

It’s the same world, but the four remaining senses paint a wholly different picture in the dark — one that may be closer to home than you think.

“In an age where we live with our mobile phones and TVs and computers and everything else that’s bad for our eyes, the numbers continue to grow,” Eatherly said. “At some point, everybody is going to experience vision changes, vision loss, or they're going to know somebody experiencing vision loss. The numbers won't get any better. We just do our part in trying to make sure everybody is educated.”

Education extends far beyond Dining in the Dark. The center offers free vision screenings and educational resources for various eye diseases all year round. The center’s technology lab teaches students to use communication technologies, and a training sidewalk allows students to practice using white canes on increasingly challenging landscapes. With guidance from mock interviews and resume workshops, 56 students successfully returned to work in 2023.

“Just because you're blind or visually impaired doesn't mean you can't work,” Eatherly said. “You just have to do things a little differently, just like every other aspect of your life.”

Independence is the name of the game, but that doesn’t mean Savannah CBLV students have to do everything on their own.

Vision loss comes with a natural period of grief, and the center works with a social worker to help students navigate the rough patches. While education and training make up a large portion of the center’s programming, the center’s collective empathy makes a world of lasting difference.

“That's what the center does,” Eatherly said. “It provides hope and strength for people who have lost or are losing their vision and to be with people who are just like them.”

Dining in the Dark offers all the social benefits of fine dining, including a chance to learn something new. When stepping back into the light at the end of the night, many guests find that their understanding has shifted. Sometimes a nice meal isn’t about appearances but the things we learn from other people at the table.

Sometimes darkness is an illuminating experience.

Dining in the Dark 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., Jan. 11, at Enmarket Arena. To purchase tickets or donate, visit savannahcblv.org.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah Center for Blind and Low Vision hosts Dining in the Dark