Students simulate blindness through obstacle course
Krista TacyStudents and community members were given the opportunity to experience their world from a different perspective.
The Volunteer Center sponsored "Hazed and Confused," an event aimed to simulate the hardships of blindness.
The event took place from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Pearce/Anspach halls courtyard as part of Disability Awareness Week. It was held in a typically busy area of campus with the intention that students would come and go between classes.
Students who participated in the event were asked to place adhesive eyepatches over each of their eyes, rendering them temporarily blind. A volunteer then placed the participants' hand upon their shoulder and guided them through a series of cones set up as an obstacle course.
"It was a little creepy not to know where I was going," said Harrison Township sophomore Christiana Camaiore after she completed the course. "I was only scared when I wasn't holding on to the guide."
The participants' hand on their guide's shoulder was intended to simulate a walking cane or a guide dog.
Around 40 people participated in the free event, which was cut short by about a half-hour because of inclement weather. Coordinators of the event still said it was a success.
"Some people are aware of Disability Awareness Week, and others are just here for the experience," said Oakland senior Jeanine Pica, a volunteer at the event. "I think that it's been an enlightening experience for people that have gone through the course."
Disability Awareness Week is sponsored by CMU's David Garcia Project, which was founded in 2003 in an effort to raise disability awareness.
Students also elaborated on their own experiences.
"After I got started on the course, I became more confident in the guide and it wasn't so scary," Camaiore said.
Guides emphasized that the blind need to have absolute trust in either their guides or their guide dogs.
"Are you feeling a little hazed?" volunteers asked when students took the patches off their eyes. "Can you imagine what that would be like all the time?"
Students expressed an overall positive experience.
"It's a good way to increase empathy for blind individuals. The volunteers have been caring and enlightening throughout the afternoon," Warren senior Timmy Foster said.
Disability Awareness Week continues through Sunday.
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