Ocean3D

11/09/2026

Network Rail has just published plans for Virtual Accessibility Tours across a baseline portfolio of 250 stations in Great Britain.

After around eight years of talking about pre-familiarisation as an accessibility tool, I’ll admit that was quite a moment when I first saw the news. You could say it stopped me in my tracks…(sorry)

The principle has always been fairly simple. For some people, being able to see and understand an unfamiliar place before they arrive can make a very real difference to whether they feel able to go there at all.

That can be particularly important for some disabled and neurodivergent people, people with anxiety, older passengers, carers and anyone who finds unfamiliar or complex environments difficult to navigate.

What matters to me most about Network Rail’s proposal is not simply the number of stations. It is the reason behind it.

The draft requirement talks about helping passengers familiarise themselves with stations before they travel, understand layouts and routes, identify facilities and accessibility features, and improve confidence and independence. It specifically identifies disabled people, passengers with reduced mobility, neurodivergent passengers, older passengers and people experiencing uncertainty or anxiety when navigating unfamiliar stations.

It also recognises something I have spent the past 8 years trying to explain: 👉Existing information can only take you so far if what you really need is to visualise the environment before you arrive.👈

This is still preliminary market engagement. It is not a tender award, a contract or a commitment to procure, and any future procurement will be competitive but, irrespective of who ultimately delivers it, I think this is worth celebrating.

Why? Because the bigger change is that pre-familiarisation is increasingly being recognised not as a novelty, but as a mainstream part of accessible passenger information and journey preparation.

After eight years of pushing that message, I’m allowing myself to be quietly pleased….And possibly not that quietly🍾🍾🍾 😊
Chris Wood
Ocean3D.co.uk

10/09/2026

COFFEE-BREAK EYE-OPENER
If you or your organisation still tends to think of accessibility mainly as a cost, try this:

Copy and paste the prompt below into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or whichever AI you use. Just add your approximate annual turnover. If you don’t know it, have a good guess or ask your CFO or accountant to run it.

“Using current UK evidence, estimate what improving accessibility and pre-visit information, including pre-familiarisation where relevant, could realistically do for my business.

Consider potential effects on bookings, conversion, repeat visits, customer confidence, complaints and lost business.

Use cautious assumptions, separate verified evidence from estimates, state clearly where there is not enough evidence to quantify an effect, and show the likely financial impact in £ terms for a business with annual turnover of £[insert figure].”

That’s it.

See what comes back. I don’t expect you to post actual £ figures here but if you’d share the expected percentage change or even just whether the results were positive (or negative) in 'comments', that would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Dependent on the size of the location to be scanned, we typically scan on day one with a working draft tour available to view the next working day. We also offer and advise on professional drone photography plus a host of custom elements if required.

28/08/2026

“Confidence, for almost everyone, can also be a powerful purchase-decision making tool.”

I wrote that in an email yesterday to a rather well-known business interested in what we do at Ocean 3D, and have been thinking about it ever since.

Whether you’re booking a hotel, choosing a university, buying a ticket, planning a journey, visiting an attraction or deciding where to spend your money, uncertainty or a lack of information often creates hesitation. A reason to pause, to question, to look at alternatives, to decide not to proceed.

Good, well-presented, information does the opposite.

If I can properly understand what I’m buying, or where I’m going and what I can expect when I get there; I’m more likely to feel confident about making that decision, that purchase, that choice. Good upfront information makes it easy for me.

For many disabled, neurodivergent or anxious customers, that kind of information can also make the difference between being able to access something or not. But the underlying principle applies to almost everyone.

Give people useful information before they buy. Help them feel confident about the decision they’re making.

It’s basic good customer experience and, I’d suggest, it’s probably pretty good for the bottom line too.

"The first thing to do is put yourself in your customers’ shoes. Often, when companies are racing to make a profit, clients’ needs are overlooked." Richard Branson

Thanks for reading. Feel free to share.
Chris Wood
Ocean3D.co.uk

06/08/2026

Awoke this morning to see an email from a genuine Olympic legend in my inbox-tray, regarding a meeting to discuss improving accessibility and pre-familiarisation 😎

31/07/2026

The "Don't Know Where I'm Going Blues"
Accessibility done poorly can give anyone the blues.
Get it right, and everyone has a better experience!

A little light-hearted Friday afternoon post after I found a new app.
Enjoy :) https://songer.co/song/khblstvfp20j1ukmfflm0tjc
Chris

I just created my own song on Songer – The Don’t Know Where I’m Going Blues

29/07/2026

😎

We were so pleased to welcome Paul and Marion from Ocean 3D to the furbd workshop after meeting them at the AbilityNet Tech4Good Awards.

As a neurodivergent-led team, we know that visiting somewhere new isn't always easy. Not knowing what a place looks like, where to go or what to expect can make people feel really anxious before they've even arrived.

That's why we were so excited to discover what Ocean3D - North East do. They create virtual walkthroughs of buildings, allowing people to explore a space before they visit. You can even experience the sounds of the environment, helping people feel more prepared and confident.

We're really looking forward to working together so that anyone visiting furbd for a placement, volunteering opportunity or workshop will be able to have a look around before they arrive.

We'd love to make this happen and are now exploring funding opportunities to bring virtual walkthroughs to furbd.

25/07/2026

We bought these two domains a year ago but haven’t done anything with them yet.

Two questions:
1) What do you think we’re actually planning, and
2) What would YOU do differently?

23/07/2026

I’ve been invited to speak at the next ND360 Neurodiversity Hub networking event on Tuesday 25 August.

I’ll be sharing some of what we have learnt about how unfamiliar places can create unnecessary anxiety and barriers, and how allowing people to explore them beforehand can help.

It is an online event for people providing services or products that support neurodivergent children and adults in education or employment.

Thank you to Georgina Smith for inviting me. I’m looking forward to meeting everyone and hearing about their work too.

The booking details are in the image.