Main content

The architect who lost his sight but gained a vision

Chris Downey went blind almost overnight, but a month later he was back at work as an architect

Chris Downey was always an intensely visual person - he was an architect working in California, a baseball coach and an avid cyclist. But at the age of 45 he went blind very suddenly after doctors discovered a tumour on his optic nerve. Chris used his creative skills to navigate the now unfamiliar world around him and as he adapted to his new normal he began to gain a new vision for designing spaces to suit a broader range of experiences. His firm is called Architects for the Blind.

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com

Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Jo Impey

Picture: Chris Downey's hands reading an embossed architectural drawing
Credit: Fogg Studio

Release date:

Available now

23 minutes

Podcast