{"id":27945,"date":"2025-11-21T10:01:24","date_gmt":"2025-11-21T10:01:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/?p=27945"},"modified":"2025-11-21T15:52:16","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T15:52:16","slug":"chris-mccausland-seeing-into-the-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/around-ou\/chris-mccausland-seeing-into-the-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Chris McCausland: Seeing into the Future"},"content":{"rendered":"

In this new OU<\/a>\/BBC<\/a> documentary airing Sunday, 23rd<\/sup> 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

We follow Chris as he travels to the US to Silicon Valley and to Boston\u2019s Massachusetts Institute of Technology, to explore how cutting-edge technology could transform his life even more.<\/p>\n

OU academics Dr Lisa Bowers<\/strong><\/a> and Dr<\/strong> Hannah R. Marston<\/strong> <\/a>provided academic expertise for the programme.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

On working on the programme, she said:<\/p>\n

\u201cMy role was to ensure the documentary content and technical interoception’s on\u00a0future technology\u00a0was academically rigorous\u00a0and grounded in user experience, real-world content and inclusive design. I accomplished this by\u00a0consulting on scripts to show how innovations can enhance independence\u00a0for people like Chris.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Viewers should be encouraged to watch this exciting programme to see how accessibility drives innovation, ultimately creating a better future for everyone.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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.<\/p>\n

She said:<\/p>\n

\u201cUtilising my knowledge and expertise regarding technology and marginalised communities, my role in \u2018Seeing into the Future\u2019 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.<\/em><\/p>\n

Viewers tuning in to watch this documentary may be reminded of the former BBC series \u2018Tomorrow\u2019s World\u2019 and it is exciting to be part of \u2018Seeing into the Future\u2019 development, showcasing how accessibility and universal design can drive innovation. It\u2019s a must-see, and viewers will not be disappointed.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Supporting Online Content<\/strong><\/p>\n

Visit our\u00a0Broadcast & Partnerships site<\/strong>\u00a0OU Connect\u00a0<\/a>for\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n