This exciting adventure is a unique offer not only for individuals, but also for companies and larger groups. Guided tours are available in both Polish and English.
In addition, if you would like to make a special gift to someone a special gift, the Krakow Centre for Education and Impressions has on offer vouchers at promotional prices, available until the end of January, and their validity lasts until the end of 2021.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email: womai.krakow@gmail.com.
Many thanks from the bottom of my heart to WOMAI for this unforgettable adventure!
meeting time: 60 minutes
Number of people: unlimited
Meeting platform: ZOOM
A door opens for us into an extraordinary world of the senses - a fascinating world that at the same time makes us anxious. Seemingly nothing unusual: we hear sounds, we sense smells, we touch objects, and yet, from the very beginning, we become lost, full of uncertainty. The reason seems to be trivial (but is it really...) is the lack of sight. In this unusual, space, devoid of any source of light, we can only be guided only the voice of a blind person can guide us. For this is her world. It is definitely worth going there, especially as this amazing journey is within our reach. After all, we can take part in it without leaving our home.
In a fraction of a second, the light goes out and we are deprived of the most important senses, essential for everyday functioning - our sight. Thanks to the blindfold, we become equal to the blind and therefore finally have the same chances to overcome all kinds of difficulties. In just a moment we are about to find out what it is like to move around in total darkness with the help of our other senses. We are invited to take part in this unusual experiment by WOMAI, the Centre for Education and Impressions in Krakow. What is the aim of this expedition? First of all, to show us the world from a different perspective. What we experience there and what emotions we will experience is completely individual. Perhaps some will change their perception of blind people, perhaps others will discover previously unknown nooks and crannies of the other senses. Well, one thing is certain, everyone who begins this journey will end it richer in new experiences.
Let us therefore begin our virtual reality expedition, with blindfolded, waiting for the voice of our guide. Suddenly we hear speeding cars, sometimes honking, it would seem, they seem to be passing right in front of our noses. A tram also appears, and all sorts of tapping sounds, alternately faster and slower. We have no doubt that without any announcement or warning, we find ourselves in the street, or more precisely in front of a pedestrian crossing. We should wait to see if we have already received a sign that it is safe to cross? Maybe ask someone for help? But is there anyone standing next to me? Are we completely alone here?
Probably as sighted people we have never experienced similar dilemmas and therefore we find it hard to believe that there are people for whom crossing the road is quite a challenge. Now we have to ask them for help. Fortunately, kind guides will get us out of trouble. Kasia, a visually impaired person, quickly comes to help us. This very friendly and talkative lady guide will now accompany us and make sure that the first stage of the journey, the crossing of the street, without any obstacles. Another challenge lies ahead. Kasia invites us into her home describing it in detail. We listen attentively, trying to remember as many details as possible, so that later, on the basis of this description, we can take a pen and paper and put her ideas on paper. The task seems easy, but is it really, with my eyes still covered by a blindfold? Remember that the chimney should be on the roof, not on the lawn... the handle is usually placed in the door, although nothing will happen if it accidentally appears on the wall. Flowers levitating in the air or windows next to the house should not surprise us either. All this is easy to imagine, but more difficult to draw, especially when we are not allowed to use our eyes. However, we have to wait a little while before we can admire the results of our work. We will only be able to show off our drawings once the armband.
After this uneventful feat, it's time for a glass of water. However, in order to quench my thirst, I must first pour water into a glass. I feel like a distorted mirror, because even the simplest task is beyond me, it takes me far too long. And how do I guess that the glass is already full? Carefully, if I get too worked up and pour too much, I may spill the water, and cleaning it up without my eyesight will not be at all won't be any easier. Kasia asks me to pick the right spices from the basket, but how, still not seeing anything, distinguish salt from pepper, thyme from oregano? Is my sense of smell sensitive enough to be the only one able to do this? Dividing a portion of rice in half also requires exceptional concentration. I tentatively rummage through both cups to check that there are roughly the same number of grains in both cups. It turns out that my wardrobe is also full of surprises. I never thought that matching two socks to a pair could be so challenging for me.
Until a decade ago, blind people had limited opportunities to move freely in and out of the home. Today, their everyday life is made easier by creative inventors and rapidly rapidly developing technology. It is thanks to this that they have devices that enable them to cope with everyday activities: they can check whether a glass is completely filled with liquid, put on their make-up and even read what is on the on product labels. The most important, however, is their own creativity and ingenuity, which they are happy to share with others. An invariable attribute of a blind person is a white cane, but it too is very often assisted by technology. This indispensable object makes it easier for navigating the city or crossing the street.
During the guided tours, the guides can be asked the most varied questions, from the obvious to the more awkward or uncomfortable. Blind people do not want to keep secrets from us; on the contrary, they are happy to tell you what the world looks like from their perspective. They also want to understand our point of view, in order to shatter the image in our minds of blind people as disabled and in need of round-the-clock care. They are motivated, passionate and each of them has their own interests: they play sports, are interested in history, psychology, technology, they speak foreign languages, and their style of guiding and talking about themselves reflects a high level of culture and intelligence. It is also impossible to deny their sense of humour, Peter, a blind guide, when asked if he would like to drive a car, replies with a smile: "of course, I don't see any obstacles". Paradoxically, their joie de vivre makes us reflect, what can be more appealing to our ego than to see a blind person overcoming all obstacles and enjoying life to the full.
During the journey in the dark, we can ask the guides how to help them in their daily lives, what to avoid and what stereotypes about them. What does it actually mean to "lend" your eyes to a blind person? Also fascinating are stories about the dreams of people who have lost their sight and those who have never seen the world around them. How they dream, whether in their dream imagination are they sighted persons or do they not have the ability to see?
The answers to these and many other questions will be provided by participants in the interactive exhibition "Into the darkness" will find the answers to these and many other questions during an unforgettable journey to a world that is inaccessible in everyday life. Cover your eyes, hear, feel, be guided, but above all have fun!
English (UK) 
Polski