Even though the surgery was successful it caused him to become blind. After going through rehabilitation to reorientate himself to his new circumstances he started to compare and contrast life before and after vision loss. Being an architect Mr. Downey was very concerned with how things looked but after his vision loss he had to use his other senses in his design approach. He didn't let vision loss stop him but as a guide to inspire him for more inclusive design. Mr. Downey's TED talk focuses on inclusive design when it comes to city-planning.