Mark Leeson's Blind Taste Test

What can you learn about food when you cannot see it? In this lighthearted episode of DNL Live, Mark Leeson takes on a blind taste test. Mark samples different foods and tries to guess what each one is using taste, smell and texture alone. It is fun to watch — and it opens a bigger conversation about the senses we often take for granted.

More than a game

For people who are blind or have low vision, using other senses is part of daily life. Smell, taste, touch and hearing carry information that sighted people usually get through their eyes. Is the milk still good? Is the pan hot? Is the bread fresh? People who are blind answer these questions every day with confidence and skill.

A taste test like this one is a playful way to practice those skills — and a great activity to try with friends or family. When sighted people put on a blindfold and try it, they often gain a new respect for how much the other senses can tell us. It can also start honest, respectful conversations about blindness and low vision.

Try it at home

Want to run your own blind taste test? Keep it simple and safe. Pick foods with different textures and flavors — sweet, salty, sour, crunchy, soft. Let each person smell the food first, then taste it. Talk about what clues helped you guess. Always check for food allergies before you start.

Support for people with vision loss

If you or someone you love is living with vision loss, you are not alone. Disability Network Lakeshore connects people to local resources, training and peer support. Our Peer Support groups let you talk with people who have walked a similar path. Our Information & Referral team can point you to services for daily living, transportation and assistive technology. All individual services are free.

The episode is a reminder that disability and joy go hand in hand. Learning about each other does not have to be heavy or formal — sometimes it starts with a plate of mystery snacks and a lot of laughing.

Episodes like this one also matter because they show people who are blind on camera, leading the conversation with humor and confidence. Representation changes attitudes. When our neighbors see people with disabilities hosting, teaching and having fun, old stereotypes lose their grip — and our whole community becomes a more welcoming place.

Watch it with someone

This is a great episode to watch together. Invite a friend, a family member or a coworker to press play with you, then try your own taste test afterward. Shared moments like these open the door to honest questions and easy conversations about disability — the kind that build understanding far better than any lecture could.

Watch more episodes on the DNL Live hub, or call us at (616) 396-5326 to talk with our team.