Who? How? What? The blindekuh Manifesto
An important employer in Switzerland.
The non-profit foundation was founded as ‘Blind-Liecht’ in 1998 and renamed ‘blindekuh’ in 2017. The foundation fosters dialogue between sighted and non-sighted people and supports projects that create jobs for blind and visually impaired people. The foundation is an important employer for these people. The foundation’s concept of dining in the dark has been the recipient of many awards.
The blindekuh restaurants in Basel and Zurich offer an extraordinary experience: eating in complete darkness. The name "blindekuh" comes from the children's game in which a blindfolded person tries to catch others. Similarly, our guests experience a meal without visual stimuli. This sharpens their other senses and promotes awareness of the world blind people live in. Blind and visually impaired staff accompany the guests through the dark, which increases understanding and inclusion.
The blindekuh foundation is driven by the vision of sensibilising people of the world of the blind and visually impaired. Our mission is to create a deeper understanding and more empathy through extraordinary experiences in the dark. We want to break down barriers and promote inclusion by facilitating encounters between sighted and non-sighted people.
We believe that a change of perspective can lead to more tolerance and consideration. By giving sighted people the opportunity to experience the world for a short time from the perspective of blind people, we want to create awareness and understanding. Our work is intended to help improve the integration and acceptance of people with visual impairments in our society.
We run restaurants where guests can enjoy their meals in complete darkness. We also offer workshops, events and training courses aimed at raising awareness of the world of blind people. Our activities are designed to create sensory experiences and promote dialogue between sighted and non-sighted people.
We are not a typical catering establishment that focuses exclusively on culinary delights. Our focus is not only on the food, but above all on the experience and awareness of one's own senses. We do not emphasise visual presentation and do not use traditional advertising measures that focus on external impressions.
A visit to our restaurant offers you the opportunity to experience your senses in a completely new way. You will perceive the flavours and textures of the food more intensely and gain an insight into the reality of life for blind people. In addition, your visit will help support our social mission and promote the integration of people with visual impairments.
Every day we work to create unforgettable experiences and advance our goal of inclusion. Our doors are open every day for guests who are ready to embark on this special adventure. Our team of blind and visually impaired staff ensure that every visit is a unique experience that will stay with you for a long time.
The History of the World's First Dark Restaurant
In 1998, the Museum für Gestaltung Zürich put on an exhibition titled ‘Dialogue in the Dark’. Blind pastor Jürg Spielmann and visually impaired psychologist Stephan Zappa met each other while working as guides at the exhibition. Together they came up with the idea to open a blackout restaurant. Together with blind social worker Andrea Blaser and blind singer Thomas Moser, they founded the non-profit foundation Blind-Liecht.
With the help of the foundation, the four friends opened the first blackout restaurant in the world in 1999. The blindekuh Zurich quickly captured hearts and minds in Switzerland and beyond – spawning multiple imitators abroad from 2001 onwards. An exhibition titled ‘Blindekuh, an expo in the dark’ took place in Murten in 2002. It was curated by Jürg Spielmann and Stefan Zappa along with Jürg Flick, a blind physician. The blindekuh Basel opened in 2005.
Entry in the Duden Dictionary
The German term ‘Dunkelrestaurant’ was officially added to the Duden dictionary in 2011. That’s what we call raising awareness!
Annual reports
Foundation deed
Links: Associations
Swiss Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired
The Swiss Federation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (SBV) is the largest self-help organisation for blind and visually impaired people in Switzerland. It is blindekuh's most important partner in the field of blindness and has supported blindekuh with substantial contributions since its inception. The SBV provides comprehensive information about its numerous activities on its website.
Swiss Central Association for the Blind
The Swiss Central Association for the Blind (SZB) is the national umbrella organisation for the visually impaired in Switzerland. It was founded in 1903 and offers direct services. It is committed to ensuring that visually impaired, blind, deaf-blind and hearing-impaired people can determine their own lives according to their abilities and organise them under their own responsibility. The SZB also supported the blindekuh with financial contributions.