Dark Wall
Time Allowance: 30 Minutes
Equipment Needed: Blindfolds and a wooded area
Steps
1. Choose two participants who will remain sighted and will be assistants to the instruction reader during the dark walk to assure the safety of the group.
2. Hand out blindfolds to the rest of the group and instruct them to put them on and arrange themselves in a way for traveling without the use of their sense of sight.
3. Tell the group they will have about five to ten minutes to get organized. During this time the instruction reader takes the two assistants and points out to them the route that will be used that has been pre-selected by the instruction reader. The route chosen should offer the following challenges to the sightless travelers: walking on leaves and pushing through the brush, walking over fallen branches or rocks, walking next to water, walking down a steep incline, crawling under a tree limb with a lot of leaves, walking through the mud, etc. Be sure your assistants understand that their main job is to keep everyone safe during the experience. Return to the group and tell them that the dark walk is about to start and the rules are the members of the group are not allowed to say anything that is language that we as humans understand, they may, however, make sounds like MMMM or AHHHH or moan, etc.
4. Give the group two minutes to discuss communication method. Explain to the group that the experience is about to begin, and ask them to begin travel in the way that they have decided to organize themselves for the dark walk. Assure the group that the instruction readers will be close.
Processing Issues
Communication