The Pulse

Golf is generally a highly visual sport. But the game can be adapted to include blind and low vision players.

We speak to Gerry Nelson and Darren Douma, the president and vice-president (admin) of Blind Golf Canada. They tell us about the group's programs and tournaments, and explain how cities across Canada could bring the sport to their community.

This is the May 22, 2018 episode.

It’s officially festival season! Festivals are a great way to combine old favourites and new discoveries. But they are also crowded, noisy, and convoluted. So how do we make them accessible?

Laurie-Ann Goodwin is the general manager of the Vancouver Folk Festival, which is happening July 13 to 15 this year. She discusses the festival's commitment to accessibility. She also gives us a sneak peek of who’s hitting the stage this summer.

This is the May 18, 2018 episode.

Former Paralympian Stuart McGregor has been running since grade three. He chats with us about his experiences at the Paralympics and describes training for his first marathon at the upcoming Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend.

This is the May 17, 2018 episode.

The Winnipeg Jets are three wins away from a trip to the Stanley Cup final. Do they stand a chance for the Cup?

Alan Gates is the host of the Arctic Ice Hockey Superfans podcast. He discusses The Jets as an underrepresented team with a potential to excel and succeed.

This is the May 16, 2018 episode.

Director Rick Goldsmith discusses his latest documentary “Mind/Game: The Unquiet Journey of Chamique Holdsclaw.” He tells us about Holdsclaw’s professional basketball career, her struggles with mental health challenges, and her path to advocacy.

This is the May 15th, 2018 episode.

Twenty years ago, on May 14th 1998, millions of people in Canada and the United States tuned in to watch the series finale of Seinfeld. In the time since, Seinfeld re-runs in syndication remain tremendously popular. Why is that?

Dr. Tim Delaney is a professor and department chair of sociology at SUNY Oswego in New York. He chats with us about the social impact the iconic sitcom has had on viewers and pop culture. He also shares reference to his book “Seinology: The Sociology of Seinfeld.”

This is the May 14th, 2018 episode.

It wasn’t long ago that vision restoration was a very invasive process. But we’ve come a long way, partly because this has become a top priority for many researchers around the world.

We speak to Dr. Daniel Palanker, a professor at Stanford University. He designed PRIMA, a new-generation sub-retinal implant that is completely wireless. He explains how his technology, which uses tiny silicon chips, could one day make a difference for people who are losing their sight.

This is the May 11, 2018 episode.

In recent months we’ve been getting a better understanding of the technology behind driverless cars. How do we make sure that people with vision impairments share in the potential benefits of these advances?

Dr. Julian Brinkley is a recent graduate from the University of Florida. He discusses a software program he developed called Atlas. It could make autonomous cars more accessible.

This is the May 10, 2018 episode.

The internet allows us to access things both near and far, at anytime and anyplace, as long as we are connected. But, there are many corners of the web that remain inaccessible. What is the best way to make companies take web accessibility seriously?

We speak to advocate and content creator Nicolas Steenhout. He tells us about his podcast A11Y Rules which fosters discussion and builds hubs of knowledge around web accessibility. He also describes his journey advocating for disability, accessibility and inclusion issues.

This is the May 9, 2018 episode.

There are many things in our society that people don’t like to talk about, often because of some kind of stigma. For example, sex and sexuality. But how about sex and disability?

We speak to Joslyn Nerdhal, a sex educator and intimacy coach for the Vancouver-based organization Sensual Solutions. She tells us how her organization provides sex education and therapy for people with disabilities. She also discusses the significance of breaking stigma through healthy and open discussion.

This is the May 8, 2018 episode. A note: This episode includes mature subject matter. Listener discretion is advised.