Chris McCausland: Seeing into the Future

Posted on 21 November 2025 • Around the OU, TV and radio

In this new OU/BBC documentary airing Sunday, 23^rd November, at 8pm on BBC Two and iPlayer, comedian Chris McCausland is on a mission to discover the future of technology, and what it might hold for him personally.

Chris was born with a degenerative eye condition, where he gradually lost his eyesight, and by his early twenties, he was completely blind. This led Chris to develop a unique relationship with technology, where innovations such as the iPhone and voice-controlled smart assistants have been life-changing.

We follow Chris as he travels to the US to Silicon Valley and to Boston’s Massachusetts Institute of Technology, to explore how cutting-edge technology could transform his life even more.

OU academics Dr Lisa Bowers and Dr Hannah R. Marston provided academic expertise for the programme.

Dr Lisa Bowers is a Senior Academic whose interests are around sight impairment, accessibility, and touch-led technologies. Having worked directly with people with sight impairments, she has a deep understanding of the lived experiences, needs, and challenges faced by this community.

On working on the programme, she said:

“My role was to ensure the documentary content and technical interoception’s on future technology was academically rigorous and grounded in user experience, real-world content and inclusive design. I accomplished this by consulting on scripts to show how innovations can enhance independence for people like Chris. 

Viewers should be encouraged to watch this exciting programme to see how accessibility drives innovation, ultimately creating a better future for everyone.”

Research Fellow, Dr Hannah R. Marston, is an interdisciplinary researcher interested in the relationships between technologies, young and older users’ experience (UX), digital inclusion, age-friendly cities and communities, health, and wellbeing.

She said:

“Utilising my knowledge and expertise regarding technology and marginalised communities, my role in ‘Seeing into the Future’ documentary was to guarantee the content posited by Chris and pertaining to innovative technologies was founded in academic rigour. The documentary illustrates how current and future technological innovations can help people like Chris live an independent life, conducting daily tasks.

Viewers tuning in to watch this documentary may be reminded of the former BBC series ‘Tomorrow’s World’ and it is exciting to be part of ‘Seeing into the Future’ development, showcasing how accessibility and universal design can drive innovation. It’s a must-see, and viewers will not be disappointed.”

Supporting Online Content

Visit our Broadcast & Partnerships site OU Connect for  insights from Dr Lisa Bowers and Dr Hannah Marston on why accessibility should be a key consideration in tech design, along with practical guidance on smartphone configuration and settings to help people get the most from their devices.

This series was commissioned by Broadcast & Partnerships and is supported by the Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics and the Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies.

• Commissioned by Dr Caroline Ogilvie, Director, Broadcast & Partnerships
• Academic Consultants:  Dr Lisa Bowers and Dr Hannah R. Marston
• Media Fellows: Dr. Andrew Potter and Prof. Erica Borgstrom
• Broadcast Project Manager: Laura Connor
• Supporting Online Content: Matthew Ray

Header image credit: Open Mike Productions