Hospitality Management students planned and executed the Dining in the Dark and Dim event.
Students in the college’s Hospitality Management program gained firsthand experience this holiday season in serving clientele who have disabilities.
The students recently presented Dining in the “Dark and Dim: A French Culinary Adventure Beyond Sight” at The Stack at Municipal Light Plant in downtown Columbus. The 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.”
Clinical Assistant Professor Anne Turpin said students in her independent studies class organized and executed Dining in the Dark and Dim. The college 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 also is director of the college’s Hospitality Management Advisory Board in the Department of Human Sciences. “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. He encouraged her to impress upon her students the importance of meeting the needs of clients with disabilities.
“This year’s Dining in the Dark and 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 train, conduct research to deliver accessibility
Students worked with representatives at the Ohio Center for Autism and 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 training on Promoting Access for People Who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Blind or Visually Impaired. 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.”
Extending the learning
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 the college’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 and 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.”
