Sensory dinner experience to raise awareness and change perceptions of blindness
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DINING IN THE DARK OFFERS A GLIMPSE INTO THE WORLD OF BLINDNESS
Vision Forward hosts 11th annual sensory experience to raise awareness of blindness and visual impairment
Milwaukee, WI – Guests of Dining in the Dark will be treated to an elegant, four-course meal at Milwaukee’s Bacchus restaurant like never before – they will be blind folded. The event, which is hosted by Vision Forward Association, a nonprofit organization with a 100 year commitment to supporting people who are blind or visually impaired, will take place on Sunday, November 3, 2019. Proceeds from the dinner will help fund support, training, therapy and education options for children, youth, adults and seniors impacted by vision loss.
“This unique experience calls attention to the challenges people with vision loss face and the adaptations that allow them to be successful and independent. This event also helps raise critical funds that support our mission,” Terri Davis, Executive Director. Vision Forward is the only full‐service organization serving Southeastern Wisconsin; clients travel from as far as northern Wisconsin for the exceptional expertise and programs.
Michael Nye, artist and creator of the My Heart is Not Blind exhibition, will share his seven-year journey of listening to the stories of men and women who are blind and visually impaired from around the country. Nye crafted these stories into insightful audio narratives and artistic portraits revealing their perspectives on blindness. The My Heart is Not Blind exhibition will be open to the public for the month of November at the Milwaukee Public Library – Central Library.
Growing corporate and community sponsor support for Dining in the Dark includes: ibvi, Beyond Vision, BMO Harris Bank, Medical College of Wisconsin’s Eye Institute, PNC, SVA Certified Public Accountants, MGIC, Rick and Lisa Roszkowski, Katie and Dane Kasper, Dave and Paula Strelitz, Air Technology Services, R&R Insurance, 88Nine Radio and Johnson Financial Group.
The numbers surrounding vision loss are unsettling.
- Every 7 minutes, someone in the U.S. permanently loses his or her vision; there is an estimated 314 million visually impaired people worldwide.
- As many as 200,000 people in Wisconsin are blind or visually impaired and by 2030, the number of Americans affected by age‐related blindness is expected to double.
- An astonishing 70% of people who are blind are unemployed.
Vision Forward is the only organization providing comprehensive vision loss support and programs for people of all ages in Wisconsin.
About Vision Forward
Vision Forward is a 501C nonprofit organization devoted to empowering, educating and enhancing the lives of individuals impacted by vision loss through all of life’s transitions. Vision Forward offers support, education and training and a full spectrum of programs uniquely designed to build confidence and independence for people of all ages living with vision loss. For more information about our mission, please visit www.vision-forward.org.
About My Heart Is Not Blind – A Photography & Audio Exhibition
This exhibition brings light into the dark misperceptions about blindness. For the last 7 years Michael has been listening to men and woman who are blind and visually impaired. Blindness doesn’t make someone less intelligent, less capable, less competent. Many become more courageous and determined. Perception and adaptation are deeper than we can imagine and much more mysterious. Through the gift of images and presence, each eloquent voice draws us into deeper understanding. More at http://michaelnye.org/my-heart-is-not-blind/