Chris Owen’s Altered View

28/10/2026

I’ve finally got round to replacing my trusty old pair of walking shoes. They’ve covered the best part of 1,000km and, with the soles wearing extremely thin, I think it’s time to retire them.

Of course, replacing them is only the first step. The bigger challenge is breaking them in, which means I’ve been getting back out on some of my more familiar routes.

Walking with a visual impairment can be tricky, particularly as the countryside isn’t exactly designed with accessibility in mind. But with plenty of planning, some familiarity and a good dose of assistive tech, I can still throw on my backpack, grab my long white cane and head off with a reasonable degree of confidence.

My latest Musings from a Blind Man, One Man and His Backpack, is now live on Altered View. It’s a reflection on walking, independence, adapting to sight loss and why something as simple as putting one foot in front of the other can mean so much.

Read it here: https://alteredview.co.uk/2026/10/27/one-man-and-his-backpack/

A pair of worn-out walking shoes, a trusty white cane and a backpack. Getting out into the countryside with sight loss takes a little more planning, but sometimes the simplest pleasures offer the g…

18/10/2026

There’s something heartbreaking about accepting that you need help parenting your children, but when you have a child with additional needs, sometimes those few hours are essential to give you time to reset, recharge and make sure you can continue giving them the care and attention they need.

So yesterday, whilst William was spending the day with his respite team, having fun at the Wi******er Science Centre and Planetarium, Kath and I strapped on our walking shoes, grabbed Ozzy’s long line and headed out into the autumn sunshine.

That’s the thing about respite. It’s not only about the person receiving care. It’s also about giving families the opportunity to recharge, reconnect and enjoy some of the things that otherwise need to take a back seat.

For us, yesterday was simply about spending time together. We had no real plans, just a gentle wander through the countryside, some beautiful autumn sunshine and Ozzy having a good time.

And today, it’s back to family life – shoe shopping, bath and hair wash, and all the usual Sunday stuff.

Sometimes looking after others means remembering to look after yourselves too.

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Image descriptions in captions

11/10/2026

Sunday afternoon cooking

Pork tenderloin and beef topside slowly smoked on the grill, that’s this week’s dinner sorted!

Image 1 a view of the grill from above a chimney where gentle wisps of smoke blur the image
Image 2 joints of beef and pork on the grill grates in the main cooking chamber
Image 3 view of the grill from the fire box end. There’s a wood split warming on top of the fire box. Behind the fire box is the wide cooking chamber and then a tall chimney at the far end
Image 4 a close up of the fire box with baffles open and a view of a piece of wood smouldering away
Image 5 all done! The joints of meat sit resting on a carving tray with a deep dark crust from the cook

04/10/2026

23km walked and over £1,000 raised for Berkshire Vision

Thanks to all the Owen’s for such an amazing walk - Mum, Dave,Kathryn, Jess and Arthur with special guest appearance from Dylan.

And thanks to everyone who has supported us so far. And if anyone would like to donate, you can at

https://www.justgiving.com/page/owen-family-boundary-walk

Image descriptions in captions

03/10/2026

What better was to start a Saturday than a walk with this big oaf

Image descriptions
[ID1] Oswald’, a big shaggy golden retriever on a long line plods along a woodland path with tongue lolling out and a grin on his face
[ID2] Oswald walking along the woods beside me, his nose is down sniffing and my long cane with hooked Huju tip is sweeping along beside him
[ID3] Oswald is sat majestically looking out over fields
[ID4] Oswald is sat looking at the camera with mouth open and tongue lolling out

29/09/2026

In less than a week, the Owens will be joining others to walk the Maidenhead Boundary in aid of Berkshire Vision

Berkshire Vision supports so many blind and visually impaired people, including myself, of all ages by offering advice, support and adapted events and activities.

This time I’m dragging half the family with me as we traverse the boundary. 13 miles of paths, fields, roads and riverbanks — which should give us plenty of time to remember exactly why we thought this was a good idea.

For me though, there’s a much more important reason for doing it. As my sight has deteriorated over the years, Berkshire Vision has been one of those organisations that has simply been there. Whether that’s practical support, opportunities to get involved in activities or just being around people who understand sight loss, that support really does make a difference.

So Mum, my brother, sister, sister-in-law, nephew and I will be pulling on the walking boots and doing our bit to give something back.

Six Owens. 13 miles. One very worthwhile cause.

If you’d like to sponsor us, every donation — however big or small — will help Berkshire Vision continue supporting people living with sight loss across Berkshire. Please follow the link in my bio.

And if you can’t donate, a share would be hugely appreciated too. ❤️

Now we just need the weather to behave… although given this is October in Britain, I’m packing the waterproofs. 😂

Help Chris Owen raise money to support Berkshire Vision

27/09/2026

I’m tired of hearing disabled people constantly discussed as a cost to the “hard-working taxpayer”.

Because, like so many others, I’m disabled and I’m also a taxpayer.

So many disabled people work. We pay tax. We contribute. And yes, many of us also receive support because being disabled comes with additional costs or because we need adjustments and assistance to enable us to work and live independently.

Of course we should be able to have sensible conversations about public spending. Of course systems should be reviewed and improved when they aren’t working properly.

But increasingly, it feels as though the conversation has stopped being about systems and started being about people.

Disabled people become a “cost”. A “burden”. Something that needs to be reduced.

And when you hear that often enough, it has an impact.

Not every disabled person can work. Some can work with support. Some can only work part-time. Some will move in and out of employment as their circumstances change.

None of that determines somebody’s worth.

We’re not talking about numbers on a spreadsheet.

We’re talking about human beings.

Video description: Chris, a white man in his forties with a greying beard, wears a black baseball cap and a black T-shirt that reads “White canes find obstacles” and, beneath it in braille, “f**king move, please”. He sits in an armchair and talks directly to the camera.

20/09/2026

Two terrains, two canes.

Both for my own sanity and for a bit of a change of scenery, I’ve been getting back out walking recently.

It takes a fair bit of preparation when you can’t see particularly well. I need to know my route, which for me means visualising it in my head, plotting the turns and identifying the necessary waypoints that will help me navigate and stay on the right path.

Of course, the right boots help. And seeing as I reckon my trusty old pair have covered the best part of 1,000 miles, I’ve finally treated myself to some new ones, complete with some nice new insoles.

Then there’s the necessary water, snacks and, in this weather, waterproofs!

There’s also another must-have that’s a little more unique to me: the right mobility kit, in the form of a long cane or two.

Different canes and tips have their uses on different surfaces. Think of it as swapping between road and off-road tyres depending on the terrain.

So, let me introduce the gang…

🦯 Dory is my off-road cane, with a special hooked tip designed to glide over rough surfaces.

🦯 Hank is my special no-jab, lightweight cane, with a funky 360 Pathfinder tip for roads and paths.

And away we go!

Video description:
Chris is wearing shorts and a T-shirt, sunglasses and a baseball cap. He walks towards the camera using one cane, leans it against a fence, takes off his bag, has a drink, unfolds another cane and folds the first one up. He then puts his bag back on and continues walking.

07/09/2026

When Chester took early retirement back in April, my world was turned upside down. Not only did I have to deal with saying goodbye to the companion I’d had for 3 years, I also had to adjust to a totally different way of finding my independence. But it wasn’t just me, the whole family had to cope with losing a huge part of their lives.

Since then, I’ve been getting the occasional update about how he’s been getting on, and then the other day an email arrived with the subject line “Chester’s new home”.

I’m not going to share what was in that email – that’s between me and Chester’s new owner – but I can say that it gave me something I realise I’ve needed for a quite some time: reassurance.

Chester is somewhere he will be loved, where he’ll get the exercise he needs and where he’ll get the attention he deserves.

And perhaps knowing that he has moved forward is what I needed to start doing the same.

A Letter From Home is my latest Musings from a Blind Man.

Read it on Substack:

Sometimes moving forward begins with knowing that the dog who changed your life has found his way too.

31/08/2026

I know exactly where I’m going. Until someone moves the path.

Reading Station is somewhere I know well. I know the routes, the landmarks and the reference points I use to work out where I am and where I need to go.

But with Reading Festival taking place, temporary barriers had been put across my usual route.

For most people, a temporary barrier means a slight detour. When you’re navigating with sight loss, it can be a very different experience. Suddenly the route you know isn’t there anymore and the landmarks and reference points you rely upon don’t necessarily lead where you expect them to.

But this is also a positive story.

One of the festival volunteers directing people towards the shuttle buses spotted that I’d reached a dead end. Without making a fuss, she came over, asked if I needed some help, offered me her elbow and guided me around the closure before sending me on my way.

Temporary closures and diversions are sometimes unavoidable, particularly around huge events like this. But it’s worth remembering that their impact isn’t the same for everyone.

And sometimes making that environment more accessible doesn’t require complicated technology or grand gestures.

Sometimes it’s simply about noticing.

So a big thank you to the volunteer who noticed, and to everyone from Reading and Leeds Festival and GWR working to keep thousands of people moving over a very busy weekend. 👏



VIDEO DESCRIPTION: Video from Chris’ perspective as he walks down some steps outside Reading Station and finds his usual route blocked by temporary barriers. A volunteer, wearing a bucket hat and denim jacket and holding a Reading Festival sign directing people towards the buses, notices what has happened and comes over to offer help and her elbow. The video then speeds up as she guides Chris around the barriers towards the main road, where he continues on his way.