Episodes

Joyce welcomes Lainey Feingold, US disability rights lawyer and author who works with the blind community on technology, digital, and information access issues. She will discuss her book, Structured Negotiation; A Winning Alternative to Lawsuits was published by the American Bar Association in 2016. Lainey is widely recognized for negotiating landmark accessibility agreements with organizations as diverse as Walmart, Bank of America, and Major League Baseball. She was recognized as a California ...

Joyce welcomes Jeremy Shapira, head of special projects inclusion and diversity at Giant Eagle, Inc. Giant Eagle in Pittsburgh, PA has a long history of hiring and training workers with disabilities. For decades, the O'Hara-based supermarket chain has counted among its employees people who are deaf, blind or have other disabilities. Mr. Shapira will discuss the program the supermarket has in place to include people with disabilities into the workforce.

Joyce welcomes Apoorva N. Gandhi, Marriott International vice president, multi-cultural markets and alliances to the show. Gandhi is responsible for creating and executing an externally focused global strategy that builds preference and loyalty from diverse customer segments for the Marriott portfolio of brands. Mr. Gandhi will ensure the company’s marketing, sales, and operations consider and reflect multi-cultural markets and alliances as Marriott continues its growth around the world. Mr. Gan...

Joyce welcomes Debra Ruh, chief executive officer of Ruh Global Communications, a technology, strategic communications, and digital marketing firm helping corporations strategically include people with disabilities. The firm allows organizations to connect with and integrate the community of people with disabilities, their families, and other stakeholders, including Wounded Warriors and baby boomers who are acquiring disabilities for the first time in their lives.

Joyce welcomes Jeff Fields, site manager for World Vision’s Global Distribution Center in Sewickley, PA. World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tracking the causes of poverty and injustice. Mr. Fields will discuss the programs of World Vision, and how important it is for people to support the organization and get involved, not only during the holidays, but year-round as w...

Joyce welcomes Peggy Beem-Jelley, president and CEO of the Epilepsy Foundation of Western/Central Pennsylvania (EFWCP) to the show. Ms. Beem-Jelley will share information about epilepsy including what it is and the different types of seizures people may experience. Also Ms. Beem-Jelley will discuss the programs and services her organization provides to support people and families living with epilepsy.

Joyce welcomes disability leader, Christine Griffin, and executive director of the Disability Law Center of Massachusetts to the show. Also included will be Tony Coelho, author of the Americans with Disabilities Act. They will discuss the future for people with disabilities in 2017 and beyond.

Joyce welcomes The Honorable Tony Coelho, former California congressman and author of the Americans with Disabilities Act. He will discuss his personal journey with epilepsy and the importance of increasing understanding about epilepsy during National Epilepsy Awareness Month.

Joyce welcomes Peri Jude Radecic, chief executive officer of the Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania. During the show, Ms. Radecic will discuss the mission of the organization in depth, which is to advance, protect, and advocate for the human, civil, and legal rights of Pennsylvanians with disabilities.

Joyce welcomes disability leader, Christine Griffin, and executive director of the Disability Law Center of Massachusetts to the show. Also included will be Tony Coelho, author of the Americans with Disabilities Act. They will discuss the future for people with disabilities in 2017 and beyond.

In recognition of November as National Epilepsy Awareness month, Joyce welcomes Donna Stahlhut, CEO of the Epilepsy Foundation of Texas, Houston/Dallas-Fort Worth/West Texas. Ms Stahlhut will discuss the mission of this organization and the programs and services it has in place to foster greater awareness of epilepsy.

Joyce welcomes Gerald Homme, chairman of the Bender Lead On Team: Ginny Emerson, mother of the late, Sam Miller: Olivia Stevenson, and Gwen Jackson to discuss the Bender Lead On Team. The Bender Lead On Team assists high school and college students in the areas of setting career goals and championing anti-bullying efforts. The team provides a forum for young people with disabilities to speak out about instances of bullying and to support others who may be involved in similar situations. Gerald w...

Joyce welcomes disability advocate, Anastasia Somoza, speaker during the first night of the Democratic National Convention on July 26, 2016. Ms. Somoza gave the delegates and convention viewers a moving speech on Americans with disabilities. Miss Somoza was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and spastic quadriplegia from birth and uses a wheelchair. She has been an advocate for people with disabilities since the 1990’s. In 1993, she appeared at a town-hall meeting for kids and asked President Bill Cl...

Joyce welcomes Tim Creagan, Senior Accessibility Specialist-Information Technology, with the U.S. Access Board. The Access Board is an independent federal agency that promotes equality for people with disabilities through leadership in accessible design and the development of accessibility guidelines and standards. Created in 1973 to ensure access to federally funded facilities, the board is now a leading source of information on accessible design. The Access Board develops and maintains design ...

Joyce welcomes Lisa Krause, manager, Corporate Systems for HM Health Solutions. and Lonie Haynes, vice president Diversity and Inclusion for Highmark Health. Both guests will discuss the Careers2B Program, a unique collaboration requiring participation by three distinct entities, the partnership coordinator, the sponsor company, and the hiring company. Bender Consulting serves as the partnership coordinator of the Careers2B Program. Bender recruits, screens, directs, and manages Careers2B progra...

Joyce welcomes Kelly Buckland, executive director of the National Council on Independent Living -NCIL-. The National Council on Independent Living is the longest-running national cross-disability, grassroots organization run by and for people with disabilities. Founded in 1982, NCIL represents thousands of organizations and individuals including: Centers for Independent Living -CILs-, Statewide Independent Living Councils -SILCs-, individuals with disabilities, and other organizations that advoc...

Joyce welcomes Charlie LaVallee, chief executive officer, and Mike Schneck, board member, of Variety the Children’s Charity of Pittsburgh. Variety's programs and services are designed to empower children with disabilities by providing them with the equipment and experiences they need to gain mobility, confidence, and independence. The guests will discuss this year’s Variety Gala, to be held Friday, November 4, 2016 at the Omni William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh, PA. The annual event raises funds t...

Joyce’s honored guest will be Vivek Viswanathan policy advisor on the staff of Hillary for America, and has been with the campaign since it launched in the spring of 2015. Since joining Hillary for America, he has worked closely on policies that matter for Americans with disabilities. He will help Joyce’s listeners understand the campaign’s vision for Americans with disabilities.

Joyce welcomes Jill Houghton, Executive Director of the US Business Leadership Network® -USBLN-®. She will discuss the 2016 USBLN® Conference September 19-22, 2016 at the JW Marriott Grande Lakes, Orlando, FL.

Joyce welcomes Josh Christianson, project director, for Partnership on Employment and Accessible Technology -PEAT-. PEAT is multi-faceted initiative to foster collaboration and action around accessible technology in the workplace. PEAT works to help employers -IT companies- understand why it pays to build and buy accessible technology and how to go about doing so. Josh will explain his role with PEAT and the mission in depth.

Joyce welcomes Sam Estes, Co-chair of the Athletes vs. Epilepsy Initiative, a nationwide program for athletes, coaches, volunteers, and fans to raise awareness and funds for the Epilepsy Foundation’s mission to lead the fight to overcome the challenges of living with epilepsy and to accelerate therapies to stop seizures, find cures, and save lives. The program will also include Jerry Kill, Associate Athletic Director Kansas State University, Jeff Klauk, Professional Golfer, and Chanda Gunn, Ice ...

Joyce welcomes Janice L. Lehrer-Stein, Member of the National Council on Disability -NCD- to the show. NCD is an independent federal agency that advices the President, Congress and other federal agencies regarding policies, programs, practices and procedures that affect people with disabilities. Ms. Lehrer-Stein will discuss her role as a member of NCD and share how her personal journey with disability led her to become an advocate for all Americans with disabilities.

Joyce welcomes The Honorable Tony Coelho, author of the Americans with Disabilities Act to the show.

Joyce welcomes Andy Imparato, Executive Director of The Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD). AUCD is a membership organization that supports and promotes a national network of university-based interdisciplinary programs. Members consist of University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) Programs, and Intellectual and Developmental Disability Research Centers (IDDRC). These programs serve and are ...