Blind Date offers a chance to view the world through visual impairment

It's Blind Date - things could get messy, and lessons may get learned. And it's certainly not the typical dining with a stranger experience.

Blind Date is a dining experience wherein participants wear sleep shades and get a glimpse of the challenges faced by those who live with a vision disability. The second annual event is planned for 6 p.m. May 3 at Texas Station, 2101 Texas Star Lane.

Tickets are $50 and must be purchased by Thursday.

Blind Date benefits Blindconnect, which provides critical services, training and resources for blind and visually impaired Southern Nevadans.

Blindconnect was founded in 1998 by six like-minded blind and visually impaired people who felt a lack of information and resources sharing with themselves and the sighted community, said president Jean Peyton.

The organization has central offices at 6375 W. Charleston Blvd., Suite 200, where it hosts support groups at 9 a.m. Fridays. Its goal is to open what it dubs the first training facility for visually impaired youths and adults in Nevada.

"Any issues you have you in your life, blindness would be a part of it," Peyton said. "We talk about everything."

An estimated 50,000 Nevadans are categorized as having vision not corrected by glasses or contacts, she said. Blindconnect serves members of the community with blindness or some vision impairment.

Blindconnect participants dine in the dark with Blind Date guests and are to offer tips and encouragement, she said.

Member Keith Bauer dined as a helper last year but said he was not immune to challenges.

"I have some vision, low vision, but we all had sleep shades on, so I saw nothing," he said. "It was fun and challenging finding the food and eating it. It was challenging to explain (things) to other people."

Bauer plans to attend the May 3 event.

Each plated course is to be arranged and served the same way.

An announcer will direct participants from a loudspeaker.

"We can say from the front of the room, 'Your protein is at 11 o'clock, and your vegetable is at 3 o'clock, and your starch is at 6 o'clock,' " Peyton said.

Some spills and fumbles may happen when the salad dressing comes into play, she said.

"That's always a trip," Peyton said. "Folks really get a sense of what it is like to (deal with) a major life function without vision. Our hope is it makes people more sensitive about blindness and vision loss."

A silent auction and the premiere of Blindconnect's 2012 promotional video is planned.

For more information, visit blindconnect.org, email contact@blindconnect.org or call 631-9009.

Contact Centennial and North Las Vegas View reporter Maggie Lillis at mlillis@viewnews.com or 477-3839.