There has been more than a year of uncertainty about whether the Olympic and Paralympic games will actually go ahead in Tokyo this year. The Olympics are already in full swing and the Paralympic games will start on the 24th of August. Ahead of the games, we hear from two visually impaired para athletes, Alison Peasgood of triathlon and Elliot Stewart of judo, about how the past year has been. We hear about their training and fitness levels and how they're feeling about heading to Tokyo to compete.

We'll also hear from Team GB's Paralympic Chef de Mission - the woman taking our athletes to the games, Penny Briscoe and BBC World Service's Mani Djazmi on the medal hopefuls for this year.

Presenter: Peter White

Plans to require voters to show photo ID at polling stations were recently introduced in Parliament under the Elections Bill. But The RNIB are concerned that this will make the electoral process even less accessible for blind and partially sighted voters, who are seemingly disproportionately less likely to hold a passport or driving licence. We talk to the RNIB's Director of Development Keith Valentine about the charity's concerns surrounding this.

And we get some answers from Network Rail's Head of Public and Passenger Safety, Allan Spence about their plans for tactile paving across their network. There have been some promising signs emerging from Network Rail over the last 12 months, as they have installed tactile on a significant number of platform edges. However, their current plans to equip all stations by 2029 has been dubbed by charities as not being quick enough. Tonight, we're asking whether this installation could be sped up, what funds are available for said installation and whether any temporary safety measures are being put in place whilst these plans are being carried out.

Presenter: Peter White

There have been some promising signs emerging from Network Rail over the last 12 months around the installation of tactile paving on the edge of their train station platforms.

We revisit the discussion about braille’s future within the technological age. Since braille’s invention by Louise Braille almost 300 years ago, it is undeniable that braille has radically enhanced the lives of some blind people and, of course, has continued to do so ever since. But it is also true that it can be a complicated system to learn, it can take great sensitivity of touch, and is only mastered comfortably by a very small percentage of the population.

Presenter: Peter White

Fern Lulham sits in for Peter White.

Wheelie bins pose yet another potential obstacle for blind and visually impaired people when navigating pavements. North West Leicester City Council will potentially be able to impose fines to people who leave their wheelie bin on the pavement after bin day. Residents could be liable if there is an accident due to the obstruction. They have recently launched a consultation exercise, that will ask local residents about their thoughts on how to pave their way to a solution.

Becoming a parent can be both a scary and incredibly exciting experience - especially if you are blind or have a visual impairment. We hear the experiences of some new parents, from when they were expecting to what it is like now they have their little bundles of joy.

Are you thinking of having children? We offer some advice from Kate Crofts from Blind Parents UK.

Producer: Beth Hemmings

A longitudinal study by the Vision Impairment Centre for Teaching and Research at the University of Birmingham and the Thomas Pocklington Trust, identified key challenges experienced by blind and visually impaired people when they moved on to Further Education. It also found that many did not gain quality employment despite earning qualifications in line with the general population.

And is assistive technology making the learning and usage of braille more scarce? We want to hear your views on this - email [email protected]

The disability charity Sense are calling on the Government and local communities to prioritise disabled people as the country plans its way out of the Coronavirus restrictions. It's been laid out in their ‘Left out of Life’ report, which reveals the extent to which people feel worried about going out and anxious about measures like social distancing. We speak to the charity’s CEO, Richard Kramer.

Echolocation has long been endorsed as a way of helping people who are blind or partially sighted to navigate the world. The University of Durham have been studying the potential of the technique for some years - we'll get an update from the author of the latest report. In the study, Echolocation was taught to people with and without sight, of varying ages and it revealed some rather surprising results…

Rapid lateral flow tests for Covid-19 were criticised earlier in the year for not being accessible to people who are blind or visually impaired. The government promised to do better, but did it happen? Spectators are making a welcome return to some of the big sporting events of the summer, including Test matches and the European Football Championship, but they are only allowed into stadiums if they can show proof of a negative lateral flow test or double vaccination.

Are you itching to get back to water-cooler chat in the office? Or does the thought of commuting again fill you with dread? We discuss the merits of continuing to work from home versus returning to the office.

Getting the right lighting in the home can be life-changing for people who are blind or visually impaired. Tonight we get a preview of a new guide due to be published by the sight loss charity Thomas Pocklington Trust which gives solutions to some common lighting problems. We invited one of our listeners, who emailed in about the subject, to put the questions to the author.

And, after a big response from you on our item about e-scooters, we speak to one of the three operators of the trials starting in London this week. We'll find out about plans for audio warnings and how they intend to make sure scooters are parked safely.

In this special programme, we examine the role genetics plays in both the inheritance of sight loss and its future treatment. We hear about the latest breakthrough reported in the journal 'Nature Medicine' in which the vision of a completely blind man was partially restored using light-sensing proteins first found in algae. He was treated with a type of therapy called optogenetics, which uses the proteins to control cells at the back of his eye.

And we discuss the merits of gene testing with the Chief Executive of Retina UK about how genetic testing can help people with inherited sight loss make future choices about their lives.

New figures show there have been over 200 injuries and 1,100 complaints to local authorities since the trial of electric scooters began in 50 towns and cities across the UK. Sight loss charities are calling for stricter enforcement of existing regulations to keep people who are blind or visually impaired safe.