'Chris McCausland is an inspiration to students'

Comedian Chris McCausland's performances on Strictly Come Dancing have inspired students at his old college.

McCausland lost his sight to retinitis pigmentosa in his 20s and 30s, and his appearance on this year's contest makes him the first blind contestant to compete.

McCausland studied at the Royal National College for the Blind, in Hereford, and current students said he was defying expectations.

One student said: "Some people think that people that have visual impairments can't really do anything or can't do much with their life beside piano tuning."

"He's doing so well now, it's quite surreal but it's really good, especially for those who don't know anything about the eye," they added.

Another student said it would be "really cool if someone who is visually impaired like us" won the competition.

The actor is still in contact with the college, having performed a fundraising comedy gig in 2022 to mark its 150th anniversary.

His dance moves on TV are helping to both raise awareness and give representation to the blind community, the college's executive principal, Lucy Proctor, said.

"[He is] showing you can do anything with the training, skills and willingness to throw yourself into it," she said.

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