The Pulse

Post-secondary education can open doors to all kinds of opportunities. But the high costs of going to school can limit those same opportunities. How can we better offset financial barriers to education?

We speak about the strain of high tuition fees with Dan Allan, director of content at CIVIX, a non-partisan charity dedicated to building engaged citizenship among young Canadians. He is joined by Zalika Morgan, a grade 10 student at Central Technical School in Toronto. Dan also shares the results of the CIVIX 2018 student budget consultation.

This is the March 15, 2018 episode.

As athletes from across the world compete for gold, silver, and bronze, the Paralympic movement keeps gathering steam. Today we celebrate the athletes competing in PyeongChang, South Korea.

Brock Richardson, host of the Neutral Zone on AMI-audio, discusses notable performances from this year's Games. He also shares his own memories as a two-time Paralympian, discussing sponsorships, training, and the post-competition Paralympic blues.

This is the March 14, 2018 episode.

Video games appeal to so many audiences but for a long time low vision gamers have been an afterthought. So what does it take to make a video game accessible?

Jason Canam is the founder and director of Household Games Inc. He tells us how accessibility starts in the initial stages of game design. He describes their new accessible video game ""Way of the Passive Fist"" which is available on X-Box One, PS4 and PC gaming.

This is the March 13, 2018 episode.

Dr. Howard McCurdy was a microbiologist, university professor, and civil rights activist from Windsor, Ontario whose ancestors had been involved in the Underground Railroad. After experiencing 'polite racism' as a young man, he went on to become the second African-Canadian to serve as an MP in the House of Commons, as a member of the NDP.

Dr. McCurdy passed away on February 20th, at the age of 85. We speak with former parliamentary poet laureate Dr. George Elliot Clarke, who once served as Dr. McCurdy's parliamentary assistant.

This is the March 12, 2018 episode.

It can be tremendously difficult to make ends meet, no matter how hard you work. You may have noticed payday lenders popping up in your neighbourhood. They say they're just helping you get from one paycheck to the next, but if you fall behind on your payments, the high interest rates can be impossible to overcome.

We speak with Tom Cooper, director of the Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction. He explains why Hamilton has become the first city in Ontario to use zoning bylaws to limit the payday loan industry.

This is the March 9, 2018 episode.

International Women’s Day is a day to recognize and celebrate the achievements of women all around the world. It’s also a day to acknowledge that we still have a long way to go to achieve gender equality.

Jess Tomlin is president and CEO of the MATCH International Women's Fund. She discusses how the language we use every day contributes to society’s marginalization of women. She also tells us about MATCH Fund’s new Twitter campaign, #RestingStitchFace.

This is the March 8, 2018 episode.

There has been a lot of positive conversation around mental health over the last few years. Many provinces have stepped up their supports and recognized mental health conditions as a disability. But there is still a grey area in how those standards are being applied.

Mike Dull is a personal injury lawyer for the Maritimes. He tells us about a human rights case he worked on in Prince Edward Island that dealt with provincial disability supports for people with mental health conditions.

This is the March 7, 2018 episode.

Eye disease can have a dramatic impact on anyone’s life. And while some diseases are unavoidable, others are preventable. Dr. Kgao Legodi is an ophthalmologist in South Africa and a vice president of the World Ophthalmology Congress. He is also stakeholder of the Advanced Soweto Eye Hospital in Johannesburg. He describes the rise of diabetes in South Africa and explains how early diagnosis can prevent vision loss.

This is the March 6, 2018 episode.

Health and wellness are a critical part of a balanced lifestyle. But as your body and eye sight changes, your diet and exercise need to adapt too. So how can you stay on top of your fitness in a way that’s comfortable to you?

Ryan Van Praet is the program manager of CCB Health and Fitness. He tells us about their sports programming and share news on their upcoming campaigns and fitness podcast.

This is the March 5, 2018 episode.

The Academy Awards are a night for movie-lovers to celebrate the most acclaimed films of the past year. This year’s Best Picture nominees are spread over many genres and themes. Which is the most worthy?

Angelo Murreda is a film critic for Cinema Scope, Torontoist, and Film Freak Central. He reviews all nine Best Picture nominees and discusses what the judges generally look for.

This is the March 2, 2018 episode.