{
  "id": 18692094,
  "title": "I'm blind and went on a backpacking trip with my McKinsey colleagues. I had to trust my coworkers in a totally new way.",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/07/im-blind-and-went-on-a-backpacking-trip-with-my-mckinsey-colleagues-i",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-11-07T10:23:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Business Insider",
    "slug": "business-insider",
    "url": "https://www.businessinsider.com/mckinsey-associate-blind-backpacking-trip-guided-coworkers-trust-2026-11"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Batu Demir, who is blind, embarked on a backpacking trip with 99 of his McKinsey colleagues to challenge himself and their expectations. The trip took place along the Peaks of the Balkans trail in September. Batu Demir was guided by his colleagues as he walked during the weeklong trip. He wrote a guide on how to guide the blind to help his colleagues understand the experience. Each day, they would wake up early for breakfast, make lunches, pack their bags, and fill their water. They stayed in mountain huts with five or six people in a room. Batu Demir would walk with one of the volunteers for two hours at a time and then switch. He held onto their elbow and felt their steps, calling out instructions like \"Step up,\" \"Step down,\" and \"Stay to your right.\" Trust was a significant matter in the trip, as Batu Demir had to trust his colleagues and himself while hiking. Despite missteps, he trusted his body to correct those steps. The trip allowed him to disconnect from the world and connect with his colleagues, appreciating them in a different light. Batu Demir gained new insights about his own limits and what was possible when he refused to accept them.",
  "summary": "Batu Demir, who is blind, backpacked on the Peaks of Balkans trail with 99 of his McKinsey colleagues, who guided him as they hiked.",
  "key_points": [
    "Batu Demir, who is blind, went on a backpacking trip with 99 McKinsey colleagues.",
    "They hiked the Peaks of the Balkans trail in September, guided by colleagues.",
    "The experience challenged expectations and strengthened trust among participants."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}