Strictly’s McCausland breaking through barriers

A disability advocate has highlighted the importance of representation as comedian Chris McCausland appears on Strictly Come Dancing.

McCausland is the BBC programme’s first blind contestant and scored 29 points out of a possible 40 last Saturday.

Yahya Pandor, who lost his sight during the pandemic, said McCausland was proving barriers “don’t stop” blind people.

Dance teacher Elaine Proverbs, who has taught blind and partially sighted people, said there must be a “very special bond” between McCausland and Strictly partner Dianne Buswell.

‘I can’t dance’

McCausland is registered blind after losing his sight to retinitis pigmentosa in his 20s and 30s. Before Strictly, he confessed he “can’t dance”, something viewers may now disagree with.

“If anybody out there is thinking ‘how the hell is he going to do that?’ then rest assured that I am thinking exactly the same thing,” McCausland said. Speaking to BBC Radio Gloucestershire, Mr Pandor said what McCausland was doing was “magnificent”.

“It’s really showing what blind people can do and how limitations, obstacles and barriers don’t stop us,” he said. Mr Pandor, who is from Gloucester and now lives in Swindon, said more representation of disabled people was needed in media, adding blind people were “so underrepresented”.

He said: “Why not put us on these shows that are watched by millions just to showcase what we can do?”.

Mr Pandor added representation of blind people “is slowly getting there” thanks to the televised Paralympics and blind media figures, such as BBC radio presenters. “There is sometimes an expectation of disabled people to be inspirational, when most of us are just normal people doing ordinary things, so it’s good to see the representation in terms of doing amazing things but, also, normal things,” he said.

Elaine Proverbs has been teaching dance in Gloucester for more than 30 years and has taught several blind and partially sighted people. She said she “thinks ahead of the game” and put herself in the shoes of her partner in such situations. “The trust between a partner at any stage, even with full vision, is quite amazing,” Ms Proverbs said.”But when you’ve got very little or no vision, that’s even more so. The trust needs to be there. “The awareness of each other and the communication is absolutely key.”