Add@Me Learning Methods Database (EN)

Ask participants to put on their blind fold and help the group to stand in a circle. Ask them to hold on, using both hands, to the long string at waist level. Ask the group to form various shapes such as a square, triangle, a star, letter A etc.

As the game progresses the shapes become more challenging while periodically ask participants to remove their blind folds to check the outcome.

This exercise is to be used best at the beginning when the group starts working together (in the introduction or building the foundation part).

Each participant takes 3 objects from their purse or pockets and shares with the group why they have this object with them and what do they mean to them. After the vi facilitator give these instructions each participant will say his or her name and will share the story of the three objects he would like to talk about. Also, when talking about each of the object the participant would need to also say / describe the objects he or she talks about.

This exercise is usually organized as the first team building activity of the group (after they get to know each other, get more aware about the program and they share their motivation, contribution and expectations).

Participants will take their break outside the training room. During this time, the facilitator changes the order of the objects in the working room. Changes need to be visual (the tables, the chairs, the small personal things such as purses, notebooks, pens, glasses etc.) 

The facilitator invites the participants to choose 2 or 3 people to come to the room and to look at the new setting. The group has 30 seconds to memorize where all the objects are located. They go back to the group and make a plan on how they will set everything back where it was before. They have only 10 minutes to make the plan. 

After the plan is decided they all go back to the room and arrange the things how they originally were. In case the facilitator is a person with visual impairment s/he may need the assistance of a support or acompanying person (it can also be one of the participants), to help the facilitator set up the room and change the location of the things.

Participants have blindfolds on their eyes. They sit in two equally numbered circles, two circles facing each other. They greet each other. Then, they do what the facilitator tells them to do.

It can be e.g., shake your hand, say what you ate for the breakfast, say a compliment, your favourite item, your favourite animal, or more complex: “My first impression, when I saw you……”, “From this group I expect…”, "What I would do if I had won a billion euros…”, “My biggest success ….” “My hidden talent is ….” After each task, people from one circle change a place – they move to one place on their right or left side.

If the blind facilitator is not accompagnied by a sighted assistant, he/she should ask the participants to be his/her assistants, in turn (one after another), as some help of the sighted person might be needed, while the participants will change places (they might need some help).

Meet in a private or public swimming pool and using a ball you can play different water sports like volleyball or water polo.  Pay attention to organize the games in shallow water for safety reasons. The group of People with visual impairment should always be accompanied by some sighted volunteers or friends who can be referees or also play but who will make sure that the games are played in the safest conditions. In case you would like to involve also People who are blind, in the games you will need to use a special ball with acoustic signals.

The group sits in a circle, the vi facilitator passes along a roll of toilet paper asking participants to take as much as they need without giving any further explanation. Once everyone has his/her pieces toilet paper, the vi facilitator explains that for each square of toilet paper they have  in hand participants will have to state one thing about themselves. Participants will one by one take the word and will say out loud how many pieces of paper they have in hand and also announce their names in order for the VI facilitator to know who is speaking and how many things about themselves they will say.

Arrange an outside activity (e.g. visit of the nearest town, visit of a nice neighbourhood, a tour around the block, etc.), where sighted people experience a tandem ride with their eyes blindfolded. At the end of each activity, the facilitator initiates a feed-back session with participants.