Accessibility Training: Dialogue in Silence – Experience a World Without Sound

Liberogic is a member of the IAAP (International Association of Accessibility Professionals), and our team includes holders of the advanced WAS (Web Accessibility Specialist) certification. Built on a solid foundation of knowledge and skills grounded in international standards, we are a leader in high-quality accessibility services and hold regular staff training sessions.

As part of this effort, our team took part in "Dialogue in Silence ~Conversation in Stillness~," an experience that simulates the world of people who are deaf or hard of hearing. This was our second visit to Dialogue Diversity Museum, following our earlier participation in "Dialogue in the Dark," which simulates the world of people with visual impairments.

Watch our training experience at "Dialogue in the Dark" here

■ What Is Dialogue in Silence?

Dialogue in Silence is an entertainment experience where you enjoy communication that transcends language barriers, in a world without sound.

The experience is guided by deaf attendants, experts in communicating without relying on speech. Participants wear headsets that block out sound. In the silence, you sharpen your focus, observation, and expressiveness, and experience a sense of liberating freedom.

Through body language and other ways of communicating without sound or voice, you discover new forms of connection. Even people who speak different native languages can build a deeper exchange than you might imagine.

Since its debut in Germany in 1998, it has been held in France, Israel, Mexico, Turkey, China, and other countries. To date, more than 1 million people worldwide have experienced it. In Japan, since its first event in 2017, approximately 24,000 people have taken part.

Quoted from the official Dialogue in Silence website: https://dis.dialogue.or.jp/

After checking in, you are instructed that you must not speak in the experience area and cannot bring anything with you. This includes not only bags and smartphones, but also watches and even accessories.

To create a completely silent space, the experience begins with everyone giving up all their belongings. The members participating together had no idea what would happen next and looked somewhat tense. I am sure I had a similar expression.

Guided by a deaf attendant, you put on a headset that blocks out sound and move through several rooms. Each room has its own theme. Without speaking, you communicate through designated means (hand signs, gestures, facial expressions, simple sign language) to complete the tasks.

Apart from a single theme posted on the wall, the rooms are filled with mysterious props and tools, yet there is virtually no information to go on. You need the ability to observe the attendant closely and figure out what task they are setting and what you must do to clear it.

The feeling that "this might be easier than I thought" was short-lived. Because we are used to communicating through voice and text, there were moments when I tried to convey something and got stuck wondering, "How do I even say this?" It required far more mental effort than I had imagined.

At the end of the experience, the headset comes off, verbal communication is allowed again, and the group shares their impressions, using written notes as well. When asked, "What was the world without sound like?" I found myself answering, "Lively."

That is because, without sound, everyone tried harder to share their thoughts, so their facial expressions became richer than usual and their gestures naturally grew larger.

Even in a quiet space, it was a time when I felt an incredibly strong sense of energy.

"If you want to convey your thoughts and the other person is willing to try to understand, the gist will get across." That feeling is similar to the experience of communicating across a language barrier overseas, desperately relying on body language.

On the other hand, with the older participants and elementary school students in the same session, body language alone didn't come across well, partly due to differences in how people of different ages perceive things, and there were moments that left me feeling frustrated. Taking all of that into account, it was a very thought-provoking experience, and I learned a great deal.

Based on the premise that people come from many different backgrounds, including disabilities, languages, and ages, we aim to build a society where no one is left behind. To that end, Liberogic will continue to learn about accessibility and put what we learn into practice in our production and implementation work.

Note: This article uses the term "障害者" (persons with disabilities). We did not use the variant "障がい者" because screen readers used by people with visual impairments may read it aloud as "sawarigaisha," which can be confusing. We appreciate your understanding.