In Seminar, the class did two exercises in blindness. The first was a blind drawing challenge. We paired up and while one partner was blindfolded, the other described an abstract work of art while the blindfolded partner tried to take notes and eventually draw what was described. I found it harder to be the person describing the painting because there was a limit on the kind of words we could use. When it was my turn to draw, I was able to pretty easily picture what my partner described to me but the drawing I made turned out a little different than what the painting actually looked like.
The second blindness exercise involved blindfolding our partners and leading them around the building, letting them navigate their way and only guiding them if they were in danger of touching something they shouldn’t or falling. Again, being blindfolded was easier than I thought it would be, however; it was disorienting.
Overall these exercises did a good job at putting me in the shoes of someone who is blind. I think more exercises in blindness or even deafness could be beneficial in putting us in a certain mindset.
