Lives Less Ordinary

The architect who lost his sight but gained a vision


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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: [email protected]
Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Jo Impey
Picture: Chris Downey's hands reading an embossed architectural drawing
Credit: Fogg Studio
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Lives Less OrdinaryBy BBC World Service

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