Innovation

"Dialogue in the Dark “is an experience that is set up in total darkness. A customer can choose from different experiences. The experiences range from a 45 minute exhibition tour, to having a three course meal. The exhibition tour is led by visually challenged guides.

The customer experiences the fact that, when they are unable to see, then other senses get accentuated. One gets to experience smell, touch, and sound. One of the uniqueness of this experience is to exchange money in total darkness. Taste of Darkness is another experience where one gets to taste food in complete darkness.

Another unique feature about the Dialogue in the Dark is that they conduct team building activities and other sensitivity workshops in total darkness. They also conduct workshops and exhibitions in other cities and towns across India in absolute darkness.

This business innovation aims at educating and sensitizing the members of the larger society to the challenges that visually impaired people undergo. The guides employed by Dialogue in the Dark are visually impaired from economically weaker sections of the society. This job helps them gain confidence and support their families with the income that they get. The guides are also provided training to pursue a career of their choice if they want to. The company aims to place at least one visually challenged person in every organisation in India.

Inspiration

In 2009, Krishnan was on a visit to Atlanta and had some spare time before he caught a flight back home to India. He decided to spend some time undertaking a unique experience called Dialogue in the Dark (Dialogue in the Dark) and Krishnan was excited. He was considering starting a business in the education-entertainment space - a meaningful, responsible entertainment. Visiting the Dialogue in the Dark in US provided the trigger to bring the concept to India which has now expanded to helping people experience the “Ability” of persons with disability. They have also started ACE Take 1 that provides training to people with disability to help them become gainfully employed.

ACE in Partnership with several stake holders from government and private corporations has launched the ACE Take1 project, a National Social Movement to create at-least one job for a person with disabilities in every business corporation in India.

Overall impact

The focus of the innovation is to improve the self-esteem and confidence of visually challenged team members, many of whom are from economically weaker sections of the society. The focus is to impart best in class training to these visually challenged trainees.

Mohsin, a guide, speaks highly of his experience at Dialogue in the Dark and is helping his family with his additional income. Another guide, Vijay, is a graduate and comes from a large family and hails from the neighboring province. Shankar is another guide, says " After taking up this job, I feel very confident of leading my life independently. I am able to take care of myself and also support my family. I am no more a burden to anyone". Shankar wants to be a teacher in a school for visually impaired students.

Customer compliments and raves, instills a sense of joy and pride in the guides.

Many corporations use this experience for team building activities. The experience instills a "I can Do It" attitude among participants. Yadugirish, Head of L&OD, Ashok Leyland, ran an on-boarding program for young women leaders, in “Dialogue in the Dark”. He also organised for another program for young and emerging leaders. This program also had a great impact. Yadugirish says " The guides do such a wonderful job that I am drawn to this space multiple times. Participants have been inspired". He narrated the experience to his young daughter and she decided to celebrate her birthday in Taste of Darkness.

Business benefit

At the center of the business innovation lies the fact that customers are willing to pay for new experience. Uniqueness of the Dialogue in Dark is that this is coupled with providing meaningful and gainful employment to visually challenged youth. It also instills a great amount of confidence in them. The idea to spend any where between 45 minutes to 5 hours in darkness does catch the imagination of the customers. They are thrilled when they get to know that most of the guide in darkness were visually challenged people and have a greater empathy for such causes. The business has benefited from this innovation as it has expanded its footprint across multiple cities in India. They have also increased the number of team members and have increased the revenue of the business. The profits from the business are plugged back into the training of people with disability

Many new offerings have been started by Dialog in the Dark- over the years that includes corporate workshop, playing games in dark etc. Taste of Darkness is restaurant that serves three course meals in total darkness. Many customers looking for unique experiences to celebrate their anniversaries and birthday frequent this experience. There is a wine tasting festival as well.

Social and environmental benefit

Around 400,000 customers have visited Dialogue in the Darkness since its inception. All the visitors to this experience become sensitive to loss of vision and are able to empathize with visually challenged people. One of the customers from a Government Bank was so inspired with this work, that he set up a training center specially for visually challenged people and had them employed in his bank. This business has helped sensitize the society towards the cause of people with special needs.

Every visually challenged employee of Dialogue in the Dark grows in confidence and becomes self reliant. This has helped many of them lead purposeful life.

The Dialog in the Dark, in Partnership with several stake holders from government and private corporations has launched the ACE Take 1 project, a National Social Movement to create at-least one job for a people with disabilities in every business corporation in India. Dialogue in the Dark is collaborating with National Institute of Industrial Research and Development and National Skills Development Corporation to prepare visually challenged individuals to have gainful and meaningful employment.

The high dream of the team is to set up a University funded by the federal government that can cater to the higher education of persons with disabilities.

Interviews

Krishnan SV, Co-founder

Sudha Krishnan, Co-founder

Veena, Operation Manager

Yadugirish, GM , L&OD , Ashok Leyland