Concept
Created by Andreas Heinecke in 1988, the concept of “Dialogue in the Dark” creates a place of exchange which plunges visitors into a new world radically different from their own. Visitors are guided through a course traversing several different rooms in complete darkness, led by a blind or partially sighted guide.
This exhibition is above all a place for meeting, where the most important aim is dialogue: dialogue with yourself, dialogue with others (the other visitors who find themselves in the same situation as you) and dialogue with those different from you (your blind guide).
The ambassadors here are the guides; they become mediators to show each of the visitors their own personal sensory potential, and how each individual can adapt himself to different situations. During the course, the roles of the blind or visually impaired guide and the group switch: the guide leads the group through a whole new universe, calling on their senses, reassuring them... the relationship between group and guide goes from strength to strength as the course goes on.
The experience to be gained here is an educational opportunity. In effect, the visually impaired guides are not really in total darkness, but “Dialogue in the Dark” allows the seeing visitors to get a taste of their situation. Far from being afraid of disability, the personal relationships between each of the visitors with his/her guide builds: prejudged ideas are replaced, bit by bit, by dialogue and by shared experiences. 
The three objectives of Dialogue in the Dark: dialogue, understanding the senses and raising awareness of visual handicap.
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Dr. Andreas Heinecke, German social entrepreneur and founder of Dialogue in the Dark
It was when helping a blind colleague to rebuild his professional career at the start of the 90s that Andreas Heinecke- a journalist for a German radio station- discovered the world of the blind. He found this world “fascinating”, and so went on to found “Consens” in Hamburg, a centre for the reintegration of the disabled. Today he continues his work there in the role of General Director.
The social exclusion of people who are in some way handicapped, and the inequality that they suffer when trying to receive the same chances, be it in education, work, transport or leisure, are major problems in our society. 610 million people in the world are disabled, and two thirds of them live in developing countries.
Fear and prejudice are without doubt the main causes of this situation, and make it increasingly difficult for interaction between disabled and able-bodied people. In addition there is always the idea that a disabled person is “worth less than a normal person”. Unfortunately this leads only to discrimination and the marginalisation of blind and disabled people throughout the globe.
The only way to put a stop to this and to promote the rights of disabled people is to create opportunities for people to get to know them. In other words, to find a way for able-bodied and disabled people to exchange thoughts and ideas, to discuss things and to talk with each other. It is in this spirit that the concept of Dialogue in the Dark was born, an exhibition which tries to promote accepting these people for who they are, and not for the disability that they may have. Dialogue in the Dark is no simple exhibition; it is a platform for communication and exchange for people of different cultures, in order to facilitate an evolution of mentality and ideas. By offering visitors this unique experience, Dialogue in the Dark helps to change mindsets and promote tolerance. The exhibition also aims to facilitate social integration for blind or visually impaired people, by offering them the opportunity to use and develop their skills, their potential and their personality, and by giving them the chance to rediscover their confidence and independence through a paid job.”