Ohio State hospitality students host event for individuals with impaired vision

• Hospitality Management Program students planned and executed the Dining in the Dark & Dim event.

  Photo: The Ohio State University
• Ohio State's Erik Porfeli and Anne Turpin greeted attendees.

  Photo: The Ohio State University
• Katie Robinson (left), an advocate for people with disabilities, and Ohio State student Sophia Troutman welcomed attendees.

  Photo: The Ohio State University
• Hospitality Management Program students planned and executed the Dining in the Dark & Dim event.

  Photo: The Ohio State University
• Ohio State's Erik Porfeli and Anne Turpin greeted attendees.

  Photo: The Ohio State University
• Katie Robinson (left), an advocate for people with disabilities, and Ohio State student Sophia Troutman welcomed attendees.

  Photo: The Ohio State University

Ohio State hospitality students host event for individuals with impaired vision

'Dining in the Dark & Dim' event aims to promote understanding

Students in The Ohio State University College of Education and Human Ecology's (EHE) Hospitality Management Programgained firsthand experience this holiday season in serving clientele who have disabilities.

The students recently presented Dining in the Dark & Dim: A French Culinary Adventure Beyond Sight at The Stack at Municipal Light Plant in downtown Columbus. The Hospitality Management Program partnered with Columbus-based Cameron Mitchell Premier Events, which provided gourmet fare, from beef bourguignon to crème brûlée.

"Tonight's experience is about more than dining in darkness. It's about recognizing the strength and impact of empathy in hospitality and the ways in which we can all contribute to a world where everyone feels valued and supported," said Sophia Troutman, a hospitality management major and member of the event's planning committee. "This event is a reflection of the vision my team and I are working hard to bring to life: a hospitality industry that champions inclusivity, empathy and accessibility."

EHE Clinical Assistant Professor Anne Turpin said students in her independent studies class organized and executed Dining in the Dark & Dim. EHE presented the event several years ago, and students took the initiative to bring it back this year.

"Last spring semester, two student groups presented proposals," said Turpin, who is director of EHE's Hospitality Management Advisory Board. "Their thoughtful work resonated with me, as I value listening to students' voices and perspectives."

Turpin said a conference she attended last summer lent further credence to the students' proposals. During the conference, she spoke with a man with impaired vision who encouraged her to impress upon her students the importance of meeting the needs of clients with disabilities.

"This year's Dining in the Dark & Dim was distinct in its approach," Turpin said. "It was the first to actively engage our students as both attendees and hosts, involve them in the sensory experience, and welcome visually impaired guests alongside university and local community members."

Students worked with representatives at the Ohio Center for Autism & Low Incidence (OCALI), who offered guidance on how to make the event space accessible, Troutman said.

"Instead of having a round table, you would want an edged table," she said. "Same thing with the plates: they need to be curved."

Students also completed OCALI's Promoting Access for People Who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Blind or Visually Impaired training. They conducted additional research, including studying articles about the experiences of people living with disabilities.

"With our program, we put so much focus on inclusivity and giving students all the skills they might need going into the hospitality profession," said Vinny Provenzano, a hospitality management major who also participated in the event. "It's been so beneficial. It raises awareness … and gives us those skills to be able to bring them into our careers."

Students also consulted with community members who have visual impairments. Katie Robinson was among those who shared their expertise.

"One little thing that somebody learns [at the event], they're going to take it with them and they're going to give it to someone else … and it just keeps going," she said. "While disability advocacy sometimes feels so big and so tall, those little things and those personal connections really do go a long way."

Several attendees donned sleep masks provided by event organizers to simulate the experience of navigating a restaurant with limited vision. After the meal, Erik Porfeli, chair of EHE's Department of Human Sciences, led a discussion in which attendees shared what they learned.

"Hospitality serves all people, all walks of life, all backgrounds, persons with and without disabilities," he said. "What's special is that we deliberately include training and also hands-on experience in our program to really engage our students and verse them in various issues related to inclusion."

Turpin said the Hospitality Management Program is gathering feedback from Dining in the Dark & Dim participants and evaluating the possibility of holding the event in the future.

"From what I observed and experienced, it's clear that there is both a need and an opportunity to build upon what we've started," she said. "This was one of the most touching and impactful events I've had the privilege of participating in, and I would love to see it continue."

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