Episodes

Joyce welcomes Dr. Rory Cooper, who early this year was appointed the University of Pittsburgh’s (Pitt's) first-ever assistant vice chancellor for research for STEM-health sciences collaborations. Dr. Cooper is world-renowned for his inventions and patents when it comes to wheelchair technology. He will further discuss the work being done in this area at the University of Pittsburgh and share other ways that he has dedicated his life to improving the lives for people with disabilities through as...

Joyce welcomes Evan Frazier, President and CEO of the Advanced Leadership Institute to the show. Conceived in 2016 with a vision to address the lack of Black executive management in Pittsburgh's corporations, TALI partnered with Carnegie Mellon University to create an executive leadership academy to educate, develop, and position Black leaders for meaningful advancement in corporate and community roles. Mr. Frazier will discuss this mission in detail and share how the mission addresses placing l...

Joyce welcomes Mark Boxer, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for the University of Hartford to the show. Named to this post in June of 2020, he will discuss how he has carried over the same commitment to hire people with disabilities that he held at Cigna to help all students including those with disabilities at the University of Hartford.

Following the passing of Bender Consulting Services President, Mary Brougher, Joyce Bender, Founder and CEO, has joined forces with former Member of Congress, Tony Coelho, the primary author of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), to expand Bender’s decades of service in honor of Mary’s lifelong work to engage corporations in the fight for disability rights. This new program called Bender/Coelho Disability Leadership Initiative, will focus on the retained search of people with disabilities...

Joyce welcomes back to the show, Mick Malec, president, of HM Health Solutions. Mr. Malec will discuss his commitment, as well as the organization’s commitment, to the employment of people with disabilities. His leadership is instrumental in the partnership of Highmark with Bender Consulting Services and the success of the employment of people with disabilities within the company.

Joyce welcomes back to the show, Mick Malec, president, of HM Health Solutions. Mr. Malec will discuss his commitment, as well as the organization's commitment, to the employment of people with disabilities. His leadership is instrumental in the partnership of Highmark with Bender Consulting Services and the success of the employment of people with disabilities within the company.

Joyce welcomes Laura E. Randa, disability advocate and chief commercial officer of Curio Digital Therapeutics, Inc. to the show. The company is focused on pioneering digital health in women's health. Its first product is in the post-partum depression area to help women going through this. She will share the company’s important work with this population, and also talk about her advocacy work on behalf of all people with disabilities.

Joyce welcomes former democratic congressman from California and statesman, The Honorable Tony Coelho, and author of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), to the show. Since we celebrated the 31st anniversary of the signing of the ADA into law, on July 26, 1990 yesterday, Mr. Coelho will share his personal story of living with epilepsy. Also, he will share the steps in the effort to get the ADA signed into law and the progress we have made since the ADA was passed. 31 years ago.

Joyce’s honored guest is former Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA). As we prepare to celebrate the 31st anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act on July 26, 2021, the Senator will discuss the journey to get the legislation passed, its importance, and how critical it is to continue advocating for the independence and employment of all people with disabilities.

Joyce welcomes Tari Hartman, Squire founding CEO of EIN SOF Communications, and Mary E. Dolan, executive director, FDR Memorial Legacy Committee to the show. EIN SOF Communications is a woman-owned small business specializing in disability-inclusive diversity and public policy in strategic marketing the disability community and employment consultation. The mission of the FDR Memorial Legacy Committee s to preserve the memory of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt’s catalytic involvement in issues of ...

Joyce welcomes back Kelly Buckland, executive director of the National Council of Independent Living (NCIL), and Maria Town, the president and CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and to the show. As our nation prepares to commemorate the 31st Anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which was signed into law by President H.W. Bush on July 26, 1990, both guests will reflect on the impact of this landmark legislation on the lives of pe...

Joyce welcomes Fred J. Maahs Jr., president of FJM Solutions, LLC. FJM Solutions, LLC, offers options for people with disabilities to live and thrive in the community with greater independence. It accomplishes this in several areas including: providing service to corporations, connecting them to experts in the field; offering companies the methodology to build a more inclusive workforce; providing expertise for the travel and tourism industry on accessibility, accommodations and other issues tha...

Joyce welcomes Denise Triba, chief talent officer with InnovAge to the show. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado., InnovAge offers Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) services in Colorado, California, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Virginia., In addition. it also offers home care services for seniors, and owns two affordable senior housing communities in the Denver metro area. Its mission is to allow seniors to live life on their terms – by aging in place, in their own homes and commun...

Joyce welcomes Doris Carson Williams, president and CEO of The African American Chamber of Commerce (AACC) to the show. The mission of the African American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pennsylvania is to continuously improve business and professional opportunities for African American business owners and professionals. Guided by the core values of equity in opportunity, economic advancement, self-sufficiency and entrepreneurial excellence, the organization seeks to advance economic parity for ...

Exciting news! Hear a show from Japan on the commitment to disability inclusion! Joyce is thrilled to welcome Megumi Kawakami a certified deaf interpreter accredited by Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, and Martin Dale-Hench, Japanese - English Translator who has worked at companies such as Amazon.to the show. Ms. Kawakami will tell her story about how she managed as a child who is deaf in Okinawa, Japan and how that inspired her to became one of the only ASL/JSL interpreters in Okinawa, Ja...

Joyce welcomes to the show Scott Hammerstrom, manager of programs and partnerships for Bender Leadership Academy. This non-profit organization has been serving students with disabilities since 2001. It accomplishes the mission of competency-based workforce development through a continuum of learning. Its goal is to increase long-term competitive employment for youth with disabilities. The Bender Leadership Academy delivers competency building programs that enable students with disabilities to en...

Joyce welcomes Dr. Lonie S. Haynes, senior vice president and Global Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at AmerisourceBergen to the show. Dr Lonie Haynes have an impressive background in Diversity and Inclusion and has worked as an advocate for Americans with disabilities. AmerisourceBergen provides pharmaceutical products, value-driving services and business solutions that improve access to care. Tens of thousands of healthcare providers, veterinary practices and livestock producers trust th...

Joyce welcomes Marcie Roth, executive director, and CEO, and Kat Zigmont, senior director, and deputy director of World Institute on Disability, (WID) to the show. Since WID’s original call to action in 1983, it remains committed to advancing promising disability inclusion policy and practices globally. Today, it’s call to action remains rooted in rights and indelibly embedded in strategic engagements with leaders, allies and visionaries who share its commitment to innovative solutions. The orga...

Joyce welcomes Karen Hanlon, executive vice president and COO of Highmark Health, Inc. Ms. Hanlon is widely respected as one of the lead healthcare executives in the country. She will discuss Highmark’s continued commitment to hire people with disabilities throughout the national organization and the 26-year-old partnership with Bender Consulting Services. Highmark was acknowledged nationally by the disability community in 2020 for their incredible accomplishment of the Highmark 30/30. The initi...

Joyce welcomes Toni Murphy who in January 2021 was named Senior Vice President of Comcast’s Keystone Region, overseeing the organization’s operational, strategic and financial performance across areas serving western, central and northeastern Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, northern West Virginia and the Maryland panhandle. The Region is headquartered in Pittsburgh, where Murphy is based. Highly engaged within her industry and the community, Murphy is an executive sponsor of Comcast’s Diversity and ...

Joyce welcomes Dr. Margaret Larkins-Pettigrew, Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer at Allegheny Health Network to the show. Dr. Larkins-Pettigrew is known and respected nationally for her work to promote diversity in the workforce. Dr. Larkins-Pettigrew will share the organization’s commitment from the top down to diverse workforce that includes hiring people with disabilities.

Joyce welcomes Joshua Verdi, Labor and Employment Counsel at Highmark Health to the show. Mr. Verdi will share the reasons the organization places emphasis on maintaining a diverse workforce that includes people with disabilities within their corporate culture. He will also talk about living with his own mental health disability and the importance of ending the stigma associated with having a mental health disability.

The newly appointed CEO of Disability Rights Advocates, Kathy Martinez, will be Joyce’s guest. Kathy Martinez is a nationally known and admired disability rights leader in our country. She served as the Assistant Secretary of the Office of Disability Employment Policy during the Obama administration. Her work continues to improve and protect the rights of Americans with disabilities.

Joyce welcomes Neil Romano, former Assistant Secretary of the Office of Disability Employment Policy. He is a disability rights leader and board member of the National Council on Disability (NDC) and former chairman. First established as an advisory Council within the Department of Education in 1978, NCD became an independent federal agency in 1984. In 1986, NCD recommended enactment of an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and drafted the first version of the bill, which was introduced in t...