Dozens 'dine in the dark' to benefit visually impaired in Berks County, Pa.

"It's just a small snippet of what someone with vision loss goes through," president and CEO of the Vision Resource Center said.
Friday, October 21, 2022
BERN TWP., Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Dozens of people attended a special dinner in Berks County, Pennsylvania that benefitted the visually impaired.

The Berkshire Country Club, in Bern Township, hosted the "Dine in the Dark" event Thursday night.
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Diners were blindfolded so they experienced what it was like to maneuver a meal without their vision.

Proceeds from the event go to the Vision Resource Center of Berks County and the Kutztown University Visual Impairment Program.

"It's just a small snippet of what someone with vision loss goes through," Lori Schermerhorn, president and CEO of the Vision Resource Center of Berks County, told WFMZ-TV.

"People don't realize the things that we take for granted, our everyday life, what we use our vision for," Schermerhorn added.



Organizers said "Dine in the Dark" is a chance for people to put themselves in a blind person's shoes, even for just an hour.
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"For them, it's everyday life," David Meas, a Vision Resource Center of Berks County board member, said, "and the things that they have to learn to do without that sense is just unbelievable."

One attendee of the event, 8-year-old Paisley Conrad, is a musician. She is also blind.

"I play the piano, and I take piano lessons," Conrad said.

"I hope that they understand, that just because you lose your vision or have a low vision, that you are still able to be part of society and be independent," Schermerhorn said.
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