Feast your imagination, not your eyes

Promoted by NCBI, Ireland’s sight loss agency, Dine in the Dark offers participants the challenge of sharing a meal while blindfolded. The programme now in its third year in Ireland was brought to the European Parliament in November 2018 at the invitation of Heinz K Becker, MEP. This booklet reflects the reflections of the diners’ on their immersive experience of Dining in the Dark.

Dine in the Dark – European Parliament, November 28th 2018Matt Carthy“I’ve never Dined in the Dark before. I remember growing up and my grandmother was losing her sight gradually, she passed away in 2013. When we were kids we used to blindfold ourselves at her house, but we would never last more than 5 minutes. Sitting here with the blindfold on, it’s scary, but because I’m safely seated and I have seen my table setting, I have sense of where everything is, but I know it is different when you have no choice in the matter. This experience gives you an understanding of what it would be like to be blind, and I don’t think otherwise we can really understand that.”

Heinz K Becker, MEP; Joe McKenna, Head of Foundation at NCBI; Lynn Boylan, MEP; Marian Harkin, MEP; Bobbie Hickey, Advocate; Matt Carty, MEP; Susanne O’Reilly, Novartis.

Joe McKenna, NCBI“Our experience with Dine in the Dark is that it is a deeply personal experience. We heard excellent presentations on the key sight loss issues throughout Europe, but the real goal of the evening was to have participants remember this experience so that they can draw on their impression in their future lives as advocates and ambassadors. It was very successful in this regard.”

Joe McKenna, NCBI; Heinz K Becker, MEP

Deirdre Clune “Tempted to use my fingers!”

“Never dined in the dark before, and when I was first invited to be involved, I remembered thinking that I would feel insecure. Thinking outside of the dinner event, the Parliament is a very big place, and everything is letter and number coded here. I have been here for four years now, and I know how to get around, but I know that would be difficult without vision. Even in the lifts, floor 3 or floor 2, it’s very visual.”

Mairead McGuiness, MEP; Joe McKenna, NCBI; Bobbie Hickey, Advocate; Deirdre Clune, MEP

Marian Harkin “I’ve never Dined in the Dark before, so this is a new experience for me. After the appetiser, I have been able to negotiate the dinner so far, but I think I have used my fingers more than my fork! I managed to butter my roll, but I put on far too much butter. Because I had the place setting in my mind’s eye, I am relying on my memory. I sat down without my blindfold on, but not everyone would have this advantage. Easier to leave the blind fold on for a period, but if I walked in here and sat down, it’d be much more difficult.

I thought I would feel claustrophobic with the blindfold on, and have to take it off, but I haven’t felt it enough so far. I also have noticed that I tend to close my eyes, and I have to remind myself to open them.

You’re never going to forget something like this.

It leaves a memory. In our job, in any given day, I would receive hundreds of emails on topics that are important to all kinds of people. I have done a lot in parliament on site, but something like this is an actual experience that I will remember and when I am talking, thinking, or looking again, whether it’s a legislation or a revolution, I will know that this will be fixed in my brain about how I felt to not have vision for this short period of time. I know this has been worth doing.”

Marian Harkin, MEP.

Mairead McGuinness “I walked into the room alone without the blindfold, but I put the blindfold on and I needed help immediately. I couldn’t make the 8 steps to the podium alone. The world is very different with a sight impairment or blindness. I appreciate the supporting arm that lead me up to the podium.

I live in the countryside and I don’t turn on the light when it’s dark, and I fall or I bang into things, but I can switch a light and it is fine. But a lot of people can’t do that and switch on their sight.

This evening is a joyous occasion, but it’s also an important solidarity for those who dine in the dark all the time, and live in the darkness.

I’m delighted that NCBI are involved in this initiative and I think anybody who is here will leave the room

with their eyes wide open, and our eyes will be opened by the fact that our eyes are closed behind the blindfold. I can see shadows, and I see light but I don’t see clearly. Instantly, removing my sight has made me a more anxious person.”

MEP Mairead McGuiness, with MEP Heinz K Becker, Advocate Bobbie Hickey and Head of Foundation at NCBI, Joe McKenna.

Other guests:Haas Gernot - Federation of Austrian Industries, Director for European Affairs/Head of Brussels Office“From tonight I was expecting to learn about issues and topics of sightless people. I think Dining in the Dark will be a good event, and by wearing a blindfold, I think it will heighten my other sensations, and I will be more focused on taste. The experience will encourage more from the other senses of my body, to participate and support me.”

Mokrane Boussaïd, EBU“I’m delighted to be able to share with you this particular aspect as to what it is like to be blind. Things that are easy for people with sight may be hurdles for people with low vision, hurdles that need to be overcome.

The EBU is a non for profit organisation which works to protect and promote the rights of 30 million Blind and partially sighted people in Europe Organisations both within the EU and outside of the EU. We are working to campaign to support these individuals and we thank you for helping us take forward our plans to make Europe a safer place to live for Blind and partially sighted people.”

Lambert van Nistelrooij - MEP, Netherlands“Dining in the Dark has been a memorable event. ‘Enjoying’ the event is a strange world. I’m on a lot of advisory boards, and I work a lot with people. Sitting down and communicating with a blindfold on is different. I had to leave the room to attend another event briefly this evening, and my friend next to me did not realise I had gone.

Communicating with people is a different experience when you are blindfolded. I realise I rely on my sight. 70% of communication is done via sight. But when I placed on my blind fold, I realised I had to trust they are there, and they are listening. You don’t know if they are looking at you, or doing something else. It has been a powerful experience.”

Helga Stevens – MEP, Belgian “This has been a very different experience for me, I am deaf and I tried to blindfold myself and eat tonight. Participating in this event has offered me a powerful experience which is very different to what many other people in this room tonight. Now I have a small understanding of what it is like to be a deaf-blind. Communicating is very hard. It will remain with me for a long time.”

MEP Heinz K Becker and Belgian MEP Helga Stevens

Karine Lederer - European Commission, EC/Digital Solutions and Process Efficacy“The topic discussed of employment is true for my workplace. Within the European Commission, I do not know anybody who is working with a visual impairment. Maybe there is a way of improving this, by advertising, or by promoting jobs. I know that in the parliament there are lots of different roles and people with disabilities.

After Dining in the Dark tonight, I will think differently and approach people with sight loss to see if they need support. This experience extends beyond the dinner. What does it mean not to see? I am thinking about my life, commuting to work, navigating around, and I am more conscious and aware.

Dining in the Dark was interesting. I could still taste and identify the foods and textures. My experience cooking has helped me to identify the flavours, but it is harder without vision.”

Ruth Barrett, Embassy of Ireland“The experience has made me more confident working with people with a vision impairment, even just asking if they need help.”

Ruth Barrett, Embassy of Ireland; Joe McKenna, NCBI; Bobbie Hickey, Advocate; Heinz K Becker, MEP

Anonymous (individuals did not want to be named)“I was comfortable with the experience, as long as I was at the table. I then moved away from the table and found that I would have to orientate myself without my eyesight and I couldn’t. I realised how dependent I am on my vision.”

“My grandmother is losing sight very quickly, and I can understand how she feels and how this is impacting her life a little better.”

“It’s been an overload of senses, and now as I take off my blindfold, I want it back on.”

Mairead McGuiness, MEP, addressing media on the night. MEP Marian Harkin and MEP Heinz K. Becker dining in the dark.

at the European Parliament, 28th November 2018

Social media coverage from

Dine in the Dark, EPP Group YouTube Channel